Divided We Fall
by ImObviouslyCrazy
Summary: Set after Civil War. The Avengers are divided. Cap's team is in hiding, but they are called out when more Winter Soldiers are discovered in southern U.S.. Grace wakes up, cold, alone, no memories or identity that she can recall. She's captured by the Avengers, and she doesn't know why, but she soon discovers she was a weapon, a soldier. Will the Avengers help her? Or kill her?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Steve Rogers didn't know if Tony would ever call for his help. Tony's ego and pride consumed most of his decisions, but Steve held out hope, as he watched the news that reported every civil and careful action that the remaining Avengers on Tony's side carried out for the United Nations. They never needed Captain America's help, nor did they call for any of the members of his team that remained by his side. Steve's phone stayed close to his side anyways, just in case he ever got a call from Tony Stark.

Captain Rogers refused to work for a government that would use his team to achieve some sort of agenda, although he understood why Tony made the decision he made. There was a mutual respect between them, one that would stay there until some other big argument decided to tear them apart again. The Avengers was already divided, two teams ready to do whatever they had to do to save the world. Unfortunately, Tony's team was forced to do whatever the United Nations decided they needed to.

Wand Maximoff, an enthusiastic member of Cap's team, noticed that he was distressed that morning. She opened the fridge, poured herself a glass of orange juice, then walked into the living room where Steve was sitting and watching the news. It was a report about some mundane problem that Tony took care of for some foreign country. She made a face.

"You don't regret your decision, do you, Rogers?" She asked him, her accent especially thick since she was still a little sleepy. He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he sighed heavily, then said,

"No, of course not. I just wish we didn't have to hide. We belong out there, helping people, making the world a safer place for everyone. I hate sitting on the sidelines, but I won't risk losing any of you."

"The things we do are good things," Wanda reminded him, "even if they are done in secret. We never stopped helping people, Captain. We only stopped helping people on a larger scale." She flopped down on the couch beside him. "We do not need to be in the spotlight to be the good guys. We still help those who are in need, and that is all we can do. None of us want to be arrested again."

"No, I know. I wouldn't-" The phone rang. It surprised both of them. They exchanged glances really quickly before Steve picked up the phone and answered it. "Tony?" The conversation was quick, but that was common with Stark. He always got right to the point, made a witty comment, then hung up the phone without saying bye. This was just like that.

"There are more Winter Soldiers. We're going to need a little help out here. Get your team together, get your asses to Atlanta. Don't worry. No one is going to be arrested. Tell Wanda, no hard feelings, and to leave any angst at home. See you there. Bring your boyfriend." Click. Steve put down the phone, then looked at Wanda.

"Looks like we've got what we wanted."

* * *

She didn't know her own name, and that scared her. She remembered waking up on a metal table, alone, in a cold room that looked like some sort of lab or hospital room. She was wearing nothing but a white tank top and white underwear. Gently sliding off of the table, she struggled for a moment to find her footing. Her legs felt weak and wobbly, but she figured it out after a minute. The only indication to who she was lay on the table underneath her. It was a white label that read "Grace."

Maybe that was her name. She certainly hoped it was, because then, at least, she had some sort of identity. After a moment of looking around, she stumbled over to the mirror. How could she not even know what she looked like? She could walk, talk, speak two languages in her head, yet she had no recollection of her identity or her past. How strange.

In the mirror she discovered another little bit of herself. She was pale, really pale, with deep blue eyes and long, wavy black hair. Dyed black, she noticed, which made her wonder what her hair looked like naturally. She was thinner than she expected to be, a little too thin, like she hadn't eaten in a long time. Grace, she decided to call herself, headed for the door as soon as she could walk properly. She was more than surprised that there was no one around, not in that room, and not in the hallway outside of it.

Grace walked slowly, carefully, her instincts that she discovered were on high alert as she moved through the dark hallway, lit only by the light coming from the other rooms along the way. She looked through some of the windows, but the rooms were empty. What the hell happened? As she rounded a corner, she saw a body slumped against the wall, a bullet hole in its forehead. She felt sick all of a sudden, and she fell back against the wall.

Scared now, she took off towards the exit across the room. When she yanked open the door, she was met by a large, red, metal man with glowing eyes and a glowing circle in its chest. She took a step back, but he only moved towards her.

"I need you to come with me, without fighting," it spoke to her with a human voice. It wasn't a robot, no, it was a man inside of a metal suit. She turned to run away, but she was grabbed from behind, and a piece of cloth was put over her mouth. After inhaling sharply, she started feeling dizzy. Within a minute or two, she was unconscious, sucked into the dark before she could make her escape.

* * *

 **It's short, I know, but I just wanted to see what feedback the story would get before I worked a whole lot on it :) It's a kind of story with romance, drama, action, and adventure with all of the Avengers and their associates, including a couple of OCs, too. Let me know what you think so far, and if you wanna read more! thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Steve went into the room first, unsure of what to expect. Tony was standing inside with Natasha and Clint both there with him. When Clint saw Cap, he nodded in his direction, since technically Clint was a part of Steve's team. However, when Natasha called and told him what the remaining public Avengers discovered, he knew that retirement just wasn't going to happen anytime soon for him. They would always need his help, and consequently, he would always be dragged back into the crime-fighting game.

"Hey, Cap, where's the rest of your team?" Natasha asked once Steve stepped inside. He looked at the containment cube before shifting his gaze back to Natasha. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Something wrong, Cap?"

"She's just... Not what I expected." Steve looked into the cube again, at the trembling girl sitting with her knees against her chest on the floor of the glass prison. She wasn't muscular or tall or anything he expected a Winter Soldier to be. She was just a girl, small, frail, and scared. "Who is she?" He asked Tony, shifting his gaze away from her to avoid that nagging need to help her that was building in his gut.

"She calls herself Grace, but that's about all she knows," Tony explained. "Guess the mad scientists who made our little Frankenstein neglected to share any memories or information about who she is. She's a total blank slate, which could work in our favor. She's like our own little baby. We could raise her to be one of the good guys."

"But she's not a baby," Steve reminded him. "She's a grown woman."

"She's about twenty-four," Clint spoke up. "That's what the doctors said at least. Somewhere close to that age. She's practically a kid." He stared down at the floor for a moment, pondering on some thought Steve wished he would share. Clint granted his wish. "Why was she the only survivor there? You think that Winter Soldiers don't mess with one another or something."

"Oh, like zombies." Tony seemed pleased with himself to have made that connection. "It's a possibility. Did you bring your boyfriend, Cap? I thought he might be able to give us a little more insight, since he is a Winter Soldier." Steve looked at Tony and nodded. He turned towards the door and called for his freshly woken old friend.

Bucky stepped inside the room slowly, eyes darting between Tony and Natasha, two people who once tried to capture and kill him. Tony cleared his throat,

"Hey, again, Barnes. Long time no see. I don't guess you'd be inclined to share where you've been hiding?" Tony asked him with a fake smile. Steve shook his head at Tony. "Wishful thinking, I suppose. Well, as long as our favorite popsicle flavor is here, we could maybe get this show on the road. Mind asking her questions for us, Barnes?"

"I guess I can," Bucky answered, not too fond of Tony or his witty remarks. He walked away from the others towards the containment cube. He paused in front of it, then slowly reached out and knocked on the glass. The raven-haired girl on the floor lifted her head, examining Bucky with watery green eyes. "What's your name?" He asked first.

"Grace." Her voice was hoarse from crying or screaming, Bucky couldn't be sure. But he could tell it was usually a soft, sweet kind of voice. Not something he would expect from someone like him. He nodded at her,

"Grace. Okay. Well, Grace, what can you tell me about yourself? Do you remember anything? How old you are, what your last name is, your parents... Anything?" Bucky glanced back at Steve for a moment, who was watching the girl intently. Bucky knew that face. That face meant trouble for Cap's team. Bucky turned back to the girl.

"No, I don't know anything," she told him. "How many times do I have to say it? The label on the table I woke up on said Grace. That's all I know, that's all I can tell you. I don't know where I came from, or why I was at that lab. They must of... I don't know... Wiped my memories. Why would they do that? What do you people want with me?" She was getting more and more distressed, which made Steve feel even more obligated to help her.

"Tony, why don't you let me take her back to my compound." Steve knew Tony's reaction, but what else were they going to do with her? Tony didn't tell his council of overseers anything about the girl. "We can help her there, maybe help her remember." Grace turned her gaze to Steve, confused as to what he possibly wanted from her. If she couldn't remember anything, she was no help to them anyways. Why couldn't they just let her go? But then again, where would she go if she was freed? She had no home that she could recall. She'd be alone. Unprepared.

"Um, Cap," Tony frowned. "You starting a collection or something? You really think taking another Winter Soldier with you is a good thing? After all that fighting and drama just to get the one you already have." Bucky grimaced.

"We could do more for her than any of you can," he told them. No matter what, Bucky would always back Steve, even if he didn't understand why Steve was doing something, or even if he did understand but he didn't agree. It didn't matter. Steve was his Captain and his friend. "I know what she's feeling. That sense of misplaced identity. I can help. Steve can help. Maybe Wanda could do something for her. What can any of you do?"

"He's got a point," Clint noted. Natasha looked at him with a very typical Natasha Romanov face. Clint shrugged his shoulders in response to her.

"Fine," Tony sighed. "Only because we didn't exactly tell the UN about her. Keep us posted, and keep her in cuffs. She's still a dangerous super soldier fhat was made into a weapon that can be unleashed with a few code words. Keep her under control, Cap, or we may have to come for her like we came for your very saucy boyfriend."

"I got it, Tony," Steve rolled his eyes at Tony. "I know what I'm doing okay? Just like I knew what I was doing then. Which one of us was wrong?" Tony narrowed his gaze at Cap, but said nothing. "Bucky," Steve got his old friend's attention. "Run outside and tell Sam to call Wanda. We're going to take Grace back with us." Bucky nodded and headed out of the room.

"Alright," Natasha gave in, "I guess let's get her out of the box."

* * *

Wanda sat on the end of her bed with her legs crossed over the edge. After tucking a strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ear, she looked up at her surprise visitor. He was looking back at her, watching her carefully to examine her expression.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Wanda told Vision, clearing her throat. "How did you find this place, Vision? It's supposed to be a secret." He stood awkwardly with his hands by his side, and he just shrugged his shoulders at her in response. "How long were you looking?"

"Awhile," He finally spoke. Wanda dropped her gaze to the floor. "Uh. I wanted to make sure you were doing okay," he added. "It has been a long time since I have been able to check on you, since you seem to have misplaced your mobile device." Wanda smiled a little at the ground,

"I haven't misplaced anything, Vision. You called me twice a day to ask me the same question over and over again. I gave you the same answer every time. I'm doing fine." She lifted her eyes to meet his. "I didn't think there was a point in answering anymore. Not until you came up with another line. 'Are you okay' just got a little old."

"Well, how else am I supposed to know whether or not you are doing alright?" He frowned at her. "I wish you would answer my calls, Wanda. I get concerned." She smirked at him,

"And do you have this much concern for any of the others, Vision?"

"I share concern for all of your team. They are my friends, too."

"Do you call them?" She asked him bluntly. "They were here earlier. How long have you known where we've been?" Wanda pretty much knew the answers to these questions. However, she wanted to see if Vision would answer them honestly.

"Tony keeps the others updated, so I do not feel like I need to do the same for them," he told her hesitantly. Wanda rolled her eyes at him, then hopped off of the bed. She headed out of the room, and Vision followed behind her. "Wanda, I thought we are friends, and friends keep in touch, do they not? Especially with distance between them."

"I can tell you're not the long-distance relationship type," she teased him, heading into the kitchen to get herself a soda from the fridge. Vision paused behind her, a little taken aback by her remark. She was about to say something else when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it quickly. Steve told her everythinf about Grace, and about the plan. Wanda wasn't sure if bringing the Winter Soldier to their compound was the best idea, but she supported Cap's decisions, and that was that.

"What is going on?" Vision asked her when she put her phone back into her pocket. She popped the tab of the soda and took a drink.

"Seems they're on their way back with another Winter Soldier. I'm beginning to think old habits die hard." She set her soda on the counter, then leaned back agaisnt it. "Steve says she's just a girl, close to my age, and that shes confused and were going to help her."

"That girl could be dangerous," Vision grimaced. "Why would Captain Rogers bring her here? With you. She could hurt someone. She could hurt you." Wanda raised an eyebrow at him, then dropped her gaze to the floor again, a maneuever she made to get out of awkward situations.

"You worry too much, Vision. We will be alright, I promise."

"I am sure you can handle yourself fine, but I still will worry about you and your team. Maybe I should stay for a little while. Just to assist with the girl and keep an eye on your team." He folded his arms over his firm chest. Wanda chuckled quietly,

"You really are quite human, Vision, for someone who used to be a computer." She picked up her soda, staring down at the bubbles on the rim of the can. "If you want to stay, you won't hear me complain. But it's not up to me. You'll have to ask Cap."

"So you want me to stay?" He inquired. Wanda smiled up at him,

"I never said that."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Grace sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, hands clutching her knees under the table nervously, and she watched Wanda move from cabinet to cabinet as she retrieved everything she needed for dinner. Vision swept along behind her, asking questions, helping her with anything he could, even if she didn't really need any help. She thought about how normal they seemed for a minute, especially for people Grace was told had superpowers. Vision was red, so she could tell he wasn't entirely human anyways. Was Wanda?

Was she? Grace's eyes fell to the table top, and she took a deep breath. Without even realizing it, she had begun digging her nails into the skin on her knees, so deep that blood started to seep from the wounds. Her mind raced with questions and flashes of memories she wanted so desperately to retrieve. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her breathing quickened.

"Relax." A larger pair of hands laid over the tops of hers, and another body pressed into her back, leaning over her to grab her hands. She came back to reality, to that particular moment in time. She turned her head upwards to see Bucky hovering there behind her. His hands slid down and closed on her wrists, and he pried her fingers from her knees.

Grace looked back at Wanda and Vision, who were both staring at her with a mixture of confusion and concern. Bucky forced her hands down onto the top of the table, tilting them in a way that kept her bloody fingernails from dirtying the table. Steve came into the room, followed by Sam. Grace suddenly felt overwhelmed by the people surrounding her. She jolted up, shoved Bucky away, then ran off into the room that she had been given.

Her knees started to ache, but they didn't hurt nearly as much as the pain in her chest. It felt like her lungs were twisting around one another, like she couldn't breathe. She stumbled into the bathroom, then quickly turned on the sink and began rubbing the cold water on her face. Grace needed to calm down. She may not have her memories, but she knew what a panic attack was. She remembered, somehow, what it felt like to have one.

Bucky knocked on the door twice, then walked in without even waiting for a response. He followed the sound of running water to the bathroom, and he stopped when he saw Grace sitting on the tile floor on her knees, holding two wet rags to the wounds she had put there herself. She turned towards him when she felt his presence.

"What's happening to me?" She asked him, tears slipping down her cheeks silently. "What am I? Why can't I remember anything?" Bucky took a deep breath, then walked into the bathroom with her. He sat on the ground beside her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"You're a girl who was taken and used for a Russian experiment. You were made into a super soldier and stripped of your memories. They wanted a blank slate, someone they could manipulate and control. That's why you can't remember. Odds are, you were an orphan. They seem to take a lot of those in." That didn't seem to make her feel better. "You're Grace, and you will figure out what that means. You can't give yourself a past, but you can create a future for yourself, an identity. That's what's happening to you. You're getting flashes. I get those."

"You're like me, aren't you?" She asked him. "Nobody is telling me much of anything, but they told me that you were a part of an experiment, too. The first. Is that why you took me out of that prison? Because you can help me?"

"Steve seems to think I can."

"Can you?"

"I'll try," he shrugged his shoulders. "I think that... Everyone is different, and the things that make me feel better may not help you at all. I remembered who I was. I know my past, and I remember what I did when I was under their control. So I have power over it. You don't. It's hard for anyone to help you when we don't know who you are or what you're capable of."

"Gee, thanks. You really know how to cheer a girl up."

"I'm not great with people. I'm not helpful."

"Yet here you are." She looked over at him. "You're trying to help. You're giving me answers that no one else seemed to want to give me. I would consider that helping me." Grace scooted closer to him, and she reached out to touch his new metal arm. It was colder than she expected it to be, but just as solid. She touched it lightly with her fingertips.

"What happened?"

"Doesn't matter." He stood suddenly. "Wanda has medicine for panic attacks if you need any. She had a rough time after her brother died, so she can probably offer you more advice and support than I can. If you need anything else, then ask Steve or Sam."

"I can't ask you?"

"I don't recommend it."

* * *

Wanda set down everyone's plates once dinner was ready, and she sent Vision to take a plate to Grace, who was still locked away in her bedroom. The team all sat down together, thanked Wanda and Vision, then started digging into their meals. It was better than most of them expected. She hadn't really ever cooked dinner before, so most of them were worried. It helped to have Vision there, they assumed, who could memorize a recipe and its exact measurements after looking over it only one time.

"What do we do about Grace?" Vision asked once he returned from delivering their guest's meal. Wanda shrugged her shoulders in response,

"I don't know. It was Cap's idea to bring her here. I expected him to have a plan."

"The plan is to keep her safe right now. Whoever killed all those people in that lab is still out there, and they may be a Winter Soldier themselves. We have to look after her until we can get her memories to start flooding back. Then we can find the rest of the Winter Soldiers." He didn't mind explaining it again. Steve always felt like the others assumed he made all his decisions based on compassion. They weren't entirely wrong, but he also used logic to make his decisions. He wouldn't do anything to put anyone in danger.

"She's safe here," Steve added. "That's why she's here. We feed her, we get her clothes, and we make sure she is alright. That's all we have to do." He took a bite from the food, then set his fork back down on the plate. Steve looked to Bucky, who had a stoic expression on his face. He frowned. "You guys. She's just a girl. How hard is it to take care of one girl?"

"She's a little more than just a girl," Wanda noted. "She's lost and has no idea who she even is. Let's not forget the episode she had thirty minutes ago. She might have maimed her poor knees if Bucky hadn't stopped her."

"She's not in a good place. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring her here," Sam shrugged his shoulders. "She's not really... all there, Cap."

"You think she's better off locked away in a glass box? Being poked and prodded at because they're afraid of what she can do," Steve scoffed at his team. He stood up from the table. "She may not know who she is, but she isn't guilty of anything. She doesn't belong in a cell." He shoved his plate back on the table, then left the kitchen. He headed back to her room, frustrated with his friends.

It took her a second to answer the door when he knocked, and he was a little surprised to see her standing there in the doorway in nothing but a towel. Her hair hung down around her shoulders, soaked and dripping, clinging to her skin on her cheeks and chest in some places. Steve felt his face get hot all of a sudden.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time." Grace raised an eyebrow at him,

"Why would it be a bad time?" Then, it hit her. "Oh, right. Sorry. I guess I forgot about this." She looked down at herself in the towel. "I'm fine, if that's all you needed to know. I'm over it, and my knees are cleaned up. I'll be alright."

"You don't believe that anymore than I do," he frowned at her. "You can trust us, Grace. I promise. If you're having a hard time, come to us. If you need anything at all, were all here to help you. You're not alone in this. Bucky has been through it. He understands."

"He also doesn't seem to like me too much."

"I doubt that's true."

"We'll see."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Grace heard her bedroom door open, and she turned sharply to investigate. Quickly dodging behind the bathroom door, she waited for the intruder to get closer. No one was home except Wanda, and as heavy as the footsteps were, they definitely didn't belong to her. Grace slowed her breathing, kept it quiet, and she waited.

As soon as the intruder started walking into the bathroom, she slammed her heel into the door, knocking it into them. Her hands instinctively went up, throwing punches. One of the connected with the strangers jaw. It was a man, but she was moving too rapidly to figure out any more details. Her foot kicked out, sweeping the man off his feet. She dropped into his stomach, but she was quickly thrown to the side.

Her head collided with the bathroom counter, and she let out a grunt. As the man closed in on her, she threw her feet outwards, kicking his stomach and sending him backwards into the tub. She rolled over and starting climbing to her feet. Then, an arm wrapped around her neck. Grace didn't realize how her instincts worked, but she was glad they did.

She threw her head back, smashing the man's nose and making him release her. Her whole body spun, leg kicking out, and slammed her heel into the man's jaw. He fell, and she leapt onto him again, pinning down his hips with her body and his wrists with her hands. When she finally got to look at the man, she was surprised to see Bucky.

"You're pretty good," he smirked up at her. "You're quicker than I expected you to be. Stronger, too." Grace frowned down at him, then jumped off of his hips and helped him up to his feet. He chuckled, brushing himself off. "You're jumpy though."

"What the hell are you doing creeping around in my room like that?" She grimaced. "I could have seriously hurt you. I didn't even know I could fight like that..." She folded her arms over her chest. "Why are you here? I thought you were going with Steve to see Stark."

"He asked me to come back and keep an eye on you. Stark called to say that the UN decided that they wanted you in captivity. Cap is going to protect you. He sent me back to do that." Bucky leaned back against the doorway. "Looks like you could handle yourself though."

"Yeah... I guess I could..." Grace looked down at the floor. There was still so much she was finding out about herself, so many things she didn't know. How could she not know herself? Yet, even if it was frustrating not knowing, Grace was really glad to find out that she was strong, that she had skills she didn't even know she possessed. She could fight, and that was good.

"Sorry if I scared you. I was just curious." He looked over at her with a confusing expression on her face that was near impossible for Grace to read. "You don't look like any other Winter Soldier I've ever seen before. You're... smaller. Cuter." He whirled around and headed towards the door. "Wanda ran to the store, so if you need anything, I'll be in my room." Just like that, he was gone. Grace stood completely stunned, unsure of what to make of her fellow Winter Soldier. Sometimes he seemed cold and uncaring, and other times, he seemed warm and friendly. She couldn't figure him out.

* * *

Wanda walked up and down the isles, searching desperately for something to snack on, something she could eat without having to cook it. She wasn't feeling good that day, and she just wanted to lay in bed and do nothing for as long as she was allowed. To do that, she needed a few snacks and drinks she could keep on her nightstand, something to reach for when she wanted it.

"What is it that you seek?" A familiar voice caught her off guard. She whipped around to come face to face with Vision. She sighed heavily.

"Damn it, Vision. Please don't do that to me." It wasn't the first time he scared her by popping up all of a sudden. It was a bad habit of his that he always forgot to keep in check. He bowed his head in shame,

"Sorry. I always forget to make noise so you can hear me coming." He floated around so that he was standing in front of her, leaning with his shoulder against the shelf she was facing. "It would seem that Tony and Steve are starting another fight among themselves. Perhaps maybe you could talk some sense into Steve this time? The girl needs to be put somewhere safe. We do not want what happened to Barnes to happen again." Wanda scoffed a little and shook her head,

"I'm sure it's not surprising that I don't agree with you, Vision," Wanda glanced up at him for a moment. "As damaged as she is, she doesn't belong in a cell. She needs a little fixing up, but Steve has the same doctors that helped Bucky ready to help Grace, too. Tony doesn't know about that, because Steve didn't want him to. That way both Bucky and Grace have a safe place to hide if anything were to ever happen." Her eyes narrowed a little. "Or if anyone were to tell Tony the location of our secret compound." Her smiled faded a little. "The girl stays."

"Wanda, please. Do not tell me you want another war on our hands? We have just gotten to a more civilized understanding among ourselves. We do not need another fight to break out. You are already labelled a criminal, Wanda. I do not want them to call you a terrorist, too." Vision was frowning down at her sympathetically. She could see it in his eyes that he was concerned for her, and that he really and truly did only want to help her. The problem was, she didn't need any help.

"Vision," she turned her body so that it was facing him completely. Her hand lifted and found a place on his cheek to rest gently. He seemed to sink into her touch a little, like he had been waiting for it for a long time. "We will always do what we believe is right. Steve and Bucky can help her better than any psychiatrist or experiment could. We want what is best for Grace, not what is best for the United Nations. She is staying with us, and a fight is the only way that they are going to take her." She took a deep breath. "Please try to see this from a different point of view than the one you already have. Don't look at Grace like a liability, look at her like a human. Like you look at me." She leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek softly, then let her hand fall away from his face. "You get to decide what side you're on, Vision. Try not to pick the wrong one this time." Wanda walked away from him, snatching up a bag of chips on her way.

* * *

Steve returned after a long, tiring, heated discussion with Tony about what should be done with Grace. He wasn't sure why, but he felt the need to talk to her about it, to clear the air, so to speak. It was important to him that they didn't keep secrets from her. She deserved to know what was going on, especially since it involved her.

"Hey, Grace?" He called her name as he knocked gently on her door. There was no answer. "Grace?" He knocked a little louder. Still no answer. Damn, he thought. She must have took off. Steve thought that Bucky was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. He opened the door and walked in. "Grace?" He called out one last time. Then, he saw her.

She was unconscious on the floor between the bathroom and bedroom. She must have been getting in the shower or getting dressed because she was lacking a shirt to cover her bra. Her jeans were still on, though, so Steve figured she must have collapsed unexpectedly in the middle of getting dressed or undressing.

He hurried over to her, kneeling down beside her. She was laying partially on her side, one arm draped over her stomach and the other stretch out towards the bed like she had been reaching for it when she fell. Steve gently rolled her onto her back and lifted her into his lap.

"Grace, come on," he shook her gently, pushing her hair out of her face. "Grace!" He shook a little harder. She stirred slightly. "That's it. Come on. Wake up." He tapped his fingertips against her cheek lightly, which caused her to open her eyes and look up at him. He sighed in relief. "There you are. You had me worried."

"Steve?" She pushed off of his firm chest and sat up on her own. "What the hell happened? I was going to take a shower, then I... Bucky came in and then he left, so I started getting undressed and I felt dizzy and..."

"You fainted," he finished the story for her. "Well are you alright? Did you hit your head?" She reached back and touched her head lightly, then winced. "Right. Come on. Let's go get you some ibuprofen. Can you stand?" He rose to his feet, then offered his hand down to her, which she gratefully accepted.

"I was trying to remember," she explained to him. "I was trying to remember being trained to fight. But I couldn't. I tried too hard, I guess, because I blacked out."

"I'm sorry, Grace," he said empathetically. "I wish I could do more to help." He lead her down the hall and to the kitchen where the medicine was kept in a cabinet. He served as a human crutch for her to lean on as she walked. "Here." He surprised her by grabbing her by the waist, hoisting her up, and setting her on the counter. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing, and she was a bit caught off guard by the sudden action. However, she stayed planted on the counter where he set her. "Take these."

"Should I take more than two?" She asked him as he handed her two little white pills from a plastic bottle. Steve shook his head.

"Not for a couple hours. If the pain doesn't go away though, Wanda has stronger migraine medicine in her room. She suffers from chronic migraines." He closed the bottle and set it back in the cabinet. He stepped towards her, standing in front of her while she sat on the counter. "Are you sure you're okay, Grace?"

"I am." She inhaled deeply. "So Stark wants me locked away?"

"No. He's doing what he's told," Steve corrected her. "Stark doesn't want to see you in a cage anymore than the rest of us do, but he signed to Accords. He's contractually bound to do and follow what the United Nations tells him. They're the ones who want to lock you away." He laid a hand on her knee gently.

"You'll be okay, I promise. I'm not going to let them take you away. I protected Bucky, I can protect you." He smiled at her, and she knew that as long as he was watching out for her, she'd be safe. He would keep her safe from the government that wanted to put her in a cell.

"Thank you, Steve. I'm just... curious. Why do you want to protect me so badly?" She asked him. "You don't know me, and youre not required to take care of me. So why do you keep fighting so hard for me, Steve?" Her eyes focused intently on his, and he realized then how gentle her big round eyes were. How could such an innocent, sweet, gentle girl be a trained assassin deep down. He just couldn't see the killer that lurked inside of her.

"Because you're just a herl who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time," he shrugged his shoulders. "You remind me a lot of Bucky when we first got him back. Everyone thinks you're dangerous, but I think you need help. You're not a killer. You're just... Lost."

Grace pressed her palms onto the edge of the counter and leaned forwards. She was only inches away from Steve's face, but he didn't pull back. He stayed there, and he could smell the scent of her strawberry shampoo radiating from her hair.

"How do you know I'm not dangerous, Steve?" Her breath smelled like spearmint gum. He stared at her, showing no fear and no sign of pulling back. "You don't know me. You don't know what I may be capable of. I might hurt someone. I might hurt you." Her eyes bore into his, and her gentleness suddenly turned into something more alluring and dangerous all at once. Then, just like that, she softened again. "Sorry." She leaned back, then hopped off of the counter and moved around him.

"Grace, wait," he called to her. She paused but kept her back to him. "You're not a killer. It doesn't matter what strength you have or skills you learned. Who you are and who you want to be is all that matters. Okay?"

She turned over her shoulder and glanced back at him, then nodded.

"Yes, I know. But don't put too much faith in me. It'll only make it hurt worse when I disappoint you." She paused. "I mean if I disappoint you. Who knows? I may surprise you." The corner of her mouth tugged upwards in a smirk for a moment before she headed back to her room.

Steve stood there, smiling to himself like an idiot, wondering what new sides of Grace he would discover as he got to know her better. Then, he realized that he wanted to get to know her better. It was bad. The feeling in his gut was a bad feeling, because it would lead to bad things. But maybe, just maybe, it could be good.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed :) tell me what you think please! That way I know which direction to head in. I'll update soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"Good morning," Wanda told Grace as she came into the kitchen. "You're up early." Grace looked over at the girl that seemed to be only a couple of years younger than she was. Maybe only one, she wasn't sure.

"Had a rough time sleeping," she admitted, meeting Wanda in he kitchen and sitting on a stool across the counter from her. "I have these dreams, although I guess they're really memories. Last night I saw something weird." Wanda raised an eyebrow at Grace, then walked over to lean on the counter in front of her. She smiled at her warmly,

"Do tell."

"I-" She took a deep breath. "I think I had a fiance," Grace told Wanda softly. She didn't know if anyone else was home, but if they were, she didn't want them to hear. "In this dream, I was with him. We were laying in bed together, laughing, kissing..." She trailed off as a hint of sadness crept into her tone. "I was happy. Then, it changed. I was being dragged out of my house, away from him. They hit him over the head with something because he was trying to reach me, trying to help me, I guess."

"I'm so sorry," was all Wanda could think to say in that moment. She'd lost someone she loved before; she knew how bad it hurt. Before Wanda got a chance to say anything else, Steve came out into the kitchen, stretching his arms above his head and yawning tiredly. His hair was a little messy, like he hadn't brushed it yet since he got out of bed. Wanda and Grace exchanged glances, and Grace shook her head.

"Good morning," he told them. "How'd you sleep, Grace?"

"Fine," she lied with a smile. Grace hated how easy it was for her to lie, but she didn't want to tell him about her possible fiance yet. "I slept great, actually. What about you?" Steve smiled like he had accomplished something,

"Good. I'm glad to hear you slept good, too, Grace." He walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. "I'm going to shower really quick. After I get ready, do you guys want to grab Vision and Bucky and maybe see about getting something to eat? There's a brand new buffet that just opened up in town. I was thinking about checking it out."

"Sure, Cap," Wanda nodded. "Sounds like it could be fun. Just to get out, you know?" He nodded back to her, then looked at Grace who shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Without saying anything else, he flashed a grin, then headed back to his room. They heard the door close, then Wanda started to chuckle. She looked over at Grace.

"I think Steve may be taking a personal interest in you," she told Grace with a slight laugh. "He's never looked at any of us like that before." Grace looked down at the floor. She certainly hoped he wasn't interested in her. Grace knew how much trouble she was causing Steve, and she didn't want to be around forever to cause anymore. Maybe it was time to leave.

* * *

Grace shoved the new clothes that Wanda had picked out for her into a bag, trying her best to be quiet and to not alert anyone to her movements. It was late at night, past midnight she believed, and most everyone was asleep. Luckily, Vision was gone that night in particular, probably with Stark and the others, plotting a way to find and kidnap Grace. She rolled her eyes at herself. How could she let this go on so long? She didn't want to be the thing that broke up a team, that started another fight.

Once all her things were packed, she slung the duffel bag over her shoulder, then headed out of the door. She planned on finding a place to lay low, somewhere in the middle of nowhere maybe. A small town filled with dirt roads that was mostly cut off from the big cities. It would be easy to find a waitressing job in some run-down little diner. Maybe a bartending job. She could do both.

She was just inches from the front exit of the compound when she heard,

"Where are you going?"

Grace paused and took a deep breath. She turned to see Bucky with his arms crossed and a look of disapproval on his face. For a moment, she started to regret her decision. Then, she turned back to the door and kept walking. Bucky ran to her, and just as she opened the door, he slammed it shut with his metallic hand. Her gaze lifted to his, and they stared at each other for a moment.

"I can't let you leave, Grace. Not only would you be seriously disappointing Steve, you'd also be putting yourself in danger." His eyebrow furrowed down at her. "As much as he's done for you, and as hard as he's trying to fight for you, I can't believe you'd just walk out on him. On the team."

"I'm not a part of your team," she grimaced. "I appreciate everything that Steve has done for me, and everything everyone else has done. But I'm a problem for you guys, and you know it. You were me once, you were in my shoes. You tried to run, didn't you? You didn't want to burden them either. I'm not going to be the reason you guys start fighting again. Wanda told me about the last one, how Stark's friend was hurt. What kind of person would I be if I stand by and willingly let that happen again because of me?"

"Come on." Bucky grabbed her by the wrist, his metal hand cold against her warm skin. He started pulling her back to her bedroom, but she started pulling back, and she was just as strong as he was, although not as strong as his one metal arm. He turned around when he felt her tugging back. "You're not running away, Grace. I won't let you. Steve is going out of his way to protect you, to help you out. I'm not letting you bail on him."

"Let me go!" She snapped, yanking her wrist from his hand. "This is my decision to make. Steve is so certain that I have a right to live despite what I am, but that means I have the right to choose as well. And I choose to leave. Steve wouldn't force me to stay."

"I'm not Steve," Bucky said in frustration. "I'm not Captain America, the defender of truth and justice and human rights. That's not me. I don't care what you want, Grace. I only care what's going to keep you alive, and what's going to keep him happy. He doesn't fight for just anyone." Bucky walked to her, snatched her up, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She yelled, hitting his back with her fists. "Damn it, Bucky, I don't want to cause a fight. I don't want this. It's my choice!" He ignored her curses, and he carried her back to the bedroom she was given. He burst through the door, then dropped her on the bed, tossing her duffel bag to the side. "You're an asshole, Bucky. You can't stop me from leaving." She jumped up from the bed and stood in front of him, toe to toe, staring up at him. "I'm going through the door, no matter what you do."

"Do you want to bet?" Bucky snorted down at her. "You're so little, Grace. I could throw you across the room if I damn well wanted to. Now, be a doll and settle back into bed the way Steve would want you to." That was it. Grace had lost her patience, and he had pushed a few too many buttons. She balled her hand into a fist, then threw it into his jaw. Bucky barely flinched, but when she tried to do it again, he caught it this time. Holding onto her wrist with one hand, Bucky backed her up to the bed, then pushed her down onto it, bringing up his other hand to pin the other wrist down.

"Get the hell off of me," she said through her teeth. "You think forcing me down is going to make me want to stay? Make me stop trying to leave? How the hell is this supposed to help, Bucky? Hm?" He didn't have a response. In fact, he hadn't though this out at all. He just saw her trying to leave, and he reacted without even thinking about any of it. Now he was holding her down to her bed, hands on her wrists, knee pressing into the mattress between her thighs. He stared down at her for a moment, and she stared back. Her expression softened, but only slightly, and a blush crept into her cheeks.

"Grace?" Wanda asked from the doorway, peering in at the two in a very suggestive position. Bucky immediately released her, then stood up slowly, meeting Wanda's harshly accusing gaze. She stared him down the entire time he walked towards the door, but she turned her attention back to Grace once he was gone. Then, she noticed the duffel bag on the floor by the bed. "Were you trying to leave?"

"No," Grace lied. "I'm not going anywhere." She sat up, wiped a single tear from her cheek, then got up from the bed. She snatched the duffel bag up, then began emptying it back into the drawers. Wanda didn't know what to say, what to even think for that matter. She wondered what the hell happened while she was sleeping. "Goodnight, Wanda," Grace glanced over at her, and Wanda took it as her cue to leave.

"Goodnight, Grace." She closed the door and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Grace looked around the mall, feeling a little intimidated by the large amount of people scurrying about from store to store. Sge looked over at Wanda, who seemed to be more than excited about being away from the compound for a little while. After the events with Bucky the week before, Wanda suggested they sneak out and do something normal girls their age would do. It usually wasn't Wanda's idea to try and be normal, because she didn't feel like normal was superior. But normal was stress free and she wanted to get Grace's mind off of everything.

"Want some ice cream?" Wanda asked her, taking her by the arm and leading her towards an ice cream parlor on the bottom floor of the mall. It was a particular favorite of hers, cookie dough ice cream with chocolate shell on top. Vision had spoiled her with it.

"Sometimes," Wanda started as they sat across from each other at a little table with red and white chairs, "girls need a little alone time. So we can talk about how stupid boys can be sometimes." Her eyes met Grace's, sharp and demanding. "What happened between you and Bucky? What was he trying to do exactly?" She feared the worst, but that was unlike him. Bucky was a good guy. Damaged, but good nonetheless.

Grace sighed. "I was trying to leave. I don't want to cause problems for anyone, especially all of you, who I would consider friends at this point... I don't want to get people killed. From what I know about the last time Stark and Steve argued, someone was paralyzed. I didn't want to be reason someone else gets hurt."

"Stark and Steve are always going to argue. Its in their nature; they're men. They have to take a stand, and no matter what opposes them, they won't back down. It's both admirable and annoying." Wanda took a bite of her ice cream, tapping the narrow end of the spoon against the table. "So Bucky was stopping you, then? Not trying to hurt you."

"No, I don't think Bucky would ever intentionally hurt anyone," Grace shrugged her shoulders. "He cares a lot about Steve, and that's why he wouldn't let me go. Because he knew it would upset his friend. Which I understand."

"He also didn't want Stark and his government goons to find you," Wanda told her, her accent thick as she tried to speak through a mouthful of ice cream. "I'm sure you don't see it, but those boys have a soft spot for you. Youre like a fragile, injured bird to them. They want to save you."

"I don't want to be a project."

"No, they don't think like that. You're not a project. You're a girl. A pretty one at that. It's instinct to protect you."

"You're pretty. They protect you. What's the difference?"

"I'm too young for them," she shrugged. "Or I was. At this point, they figure Vision has me, and they aren't allowed to interfere." Wanda pushed her ice cream around with her spoon, smiling downwards because she just couldn't help it. Grace noticed.

"He does have you, doesn't he? Vision, I mean. He loves you."

"I'm his injured little bird," Wanda explained, bringing her smile up to Grace. "He was like that with me, you know. He wanted to save me, to make me happy again. After Pietro, my brother died, I hit a bit of a rough patch. He was my world, and my only friend. Vision decided it was his job and his job alone to pull me out of that depression. Steve helped, but it was Vision who made me smile again for the first time. He came into the room in one of those old man sweaters. It looked so odd on him, cause he's so big, you know."

"Sounds like a sight to see."

"I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Vision being the way he is, he wasn't hurt or offended by it. He didnt care that I laughed at him. He was just glad I was smiling again." Her face was so full of love and happiness when she talked about Vision, and Grace wondered if she'd ever have something like that of her own. Someone who meant the world to her.

Being what she was, it hindered her ability to ever have a normal life again. She wanted to remember the fiance she once had, but at the same time, she wanted to start her own life, a new one. The old Grace, the regular human, was dead, and a winter soldier took her place. This Grace, the new one, was very different. She felt hallow, and it wasn't often she smiled. Part of her wished that she'd find make her smile like Vision did for Wanda.

Part of her knew it wasn't going to happen.

"He sounds sweet. You're lucky," Grace tried to smile. As soon as the words left her mouth, there was a flash of an image when she blinked. Grace paused. "I need to run to the restroom." She stood, then headed towards the bathroom she noticed on the way to the ice cream parlor. Once inside, she made sure no one was in there. When the last woman left, Grace leaned against the sink, head down and eyes closed.

She'd been getting flashes of memories lately. This one was of the fiance. Something triggered it when she told Wanda she was lucky. The memory was of a woman, seemingly a friend, grabbing Grace's hand and telling her how lucky she was. The woman grabbed her left hand. There was a ring, a really pretty ring that glimmered in the light.

"Rough day?" A woman asked her, bringing her out of her thoughts. Grace looked up and over at a pretty young woman about her age. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, leaving bangs behind that swooped over her left eye. The woman's blue eyes stared into Grace's. "You seem stressed out. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's fine. Yeah. Been having a lot of rough days lately." Grace sighed and stood up straight, tucking her black hair behind her ear. The woman turned her back to Grace to dig through her purse.

"That's a shame. Seem like a nice girl. I guess it's hard being a winter soldier who lost her memories." Grace's body went rigid. How did she know that? Just as Grace turned onto the defensive, the woman turned back to her with a gun in her hand, aimed directly at Grace. "I'm sorry I have to do this. Its not your fault they made you this way."

"What the hell are you doing?" Grace's eyes went wide and full of shock and fear. "Why would you wany to kill me?"

"It's my job. I have to clean up messes." The woman cocked her head to the side, her blonde ponytail bouncing as she did. Suddenly her whole expression changed, her demeanor too. "Especially ones made by my own government." Her voice was heavy with a Russian accent. Thus was a spy, or someone that was involved with the new winter soldier. Her generation.

"Alright then. Fair enough." Grace ducked low and rushed the woman. The gun went off, but it missed Grace entirely, ricocheting off the ceiling and hitting the tile wall. Grace tackled the woman to the ground, grabbing her hand on the down and slamming it, along with the gun, against the ground. The gun bounced, then slid away when Grace pushed it across the bathroom floor.

"Don't make this hard for me," the woman frowned, headbutting Grace and knocking her to the side. When she got up to run to the gun, Grace tripped her with her foot, sending the woman back to the ground. Grace moved quicky and gracefully, leaping onto her assailant and throwing a couple punches before the woman jerked upwards and knocked Grace's head against one of the marble sinks. Grace toppled over, head throbbing. The woman slid over to the gun.

"Pretty pitiful if that's all you got," the woman chuckles, standing over Grace with the gun pointed down at her head. "You're supposed to be some type of super soldier. Like me. Where are all those skills you learned back at the lab?" Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Grace swept her legs out from under the woman. When she hit the ground, Grace snatched the gun from her hand, then bashed the handle against the woman's forehead, causing blood to spurt from the wound.

"Right here," she muttered, aiming it at the woman's head. "Now someone can clean up the mess you make." Something cold inside of Grace made it easier for her to pull the trigger. Blood splattered on her shirt and face. As soon as it went off, she heard screams outside. Grace dropped the gun, then went running out of the bathroom.

Wanda looked up from her ice cream to see a blood covered Grace sprint out of the mall's double doors.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! I was so excited when the last chapter got a lot of feedback really quickly, so I thought id so my appreciation by updating again:) sorry for typos and missing words. I have to write on my phone at the moment, and it's stupid sometimes. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! I love hearing from you guys :) enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 7:

Steve and Bucky came through the front door together, arguing about what should be done with Tony and his teammates. They insisted on retrieving Grace, but Steve was not going to give her over to them. Not without a fight. However, they'd been through this before, and the consequences were massive. Neither of them were sure how to handle the situation.

Bucky walked back to Grace's room, and he was surprised to see her door open. He pushed it open all the way, standing cautiously in the doorway in case she yelled at him to get out. Laying on the bed, he noticed, was the shirt she was wearing that morning. It was covered with blood.

"Grace?" Bucky called out to her.

"Go away!" She shouted from the bathroom. Bucky stepped into the room, and Steve appeared in the doorway behind him, lingering there while Bucky ventured further in. Both of their gazes were focused on the bloody shirt.

"Grace," Steve said her name from the doorway. "Grace, what happened to you? Are you okay?" Bucky heard her sniffle like she was crying, and he looked back at Steve in concern. "Grace, are you hurt? Did somebody attack you?"

"Please... just go..." Her voice was hoarse and shaky, obviously distorted from the crying. Steve felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He motioned with his hand for Bucky to go into the bathroom, then stepped outside of the room to answer the phone. Bucky frowned. He wasn't good at consoling people anymore. Why did Steve have to stick him with that job?

Bucky put his own hesitations aside and walked into the bathroom. He leaned against the door frame for a moment, scanning the room for her. He found her. She was sitting at the bottom of the shower in her bra and underwear, head laying on her arms that were resting on her knees. The water wasn't running, and her cheeks and hands were covered in blood.

"What happened?" He asked in a calm voice, turning hid back to her so he didn't feel uncomfortable. She was indecent after all. Grace lifted her head and stared at his back, surprised to see him being modest after the previous incident.

"I killed someone," she told him after a few minutes of awkward silence. Bucky turned around, shocked to hear her say something like that. Grace was so docile, and there was no way she was switched on and switched off in just a few hours without a peep from the media. She stood, oddly uncaring of her current state of dress.

"Your head," Bucky noted, finally noticing the gash on her forehead just under her hairline. Blood had dropped and dried down the side of her face and cheek. Her bottom lip was split too in the corner of her mouth.

"Another winter soldier attacked me. I killed her before she could shoot me. I was at the mall with Wanda, and I just ran off without her." Tears streamed down her blood stained cheeks. "I was so scared, I didnt know what to do." She covered her face with her hands, then broke down again right in front of him. Bucky stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do or say to make everything alright until Steve got back.

"You should be happy it was for a good reason." Damn it, Bucky. He cursed himself for being so bad at consoling people. "I mean, not happy obviously. I was forced to kill a lot of people, good people, innocent people. At least you killed her to save yourself. Which was worth it, because to me youre the good one, and she was the monster."

Grace slowly lowered her hands from her face, looking at him with a mixture of confusion and sadness. Bucky reached forwards and pushed her hair away from the gash on her forehead.

"Stay here." He left her room and headed to the hallway closet outside Wanda's room. There was a first aid kit and a bunch of other medicinal things that were used to treat wounds. He headed back into the Grace's bathroom, then set the first aid kit on the bathroom counter. He pulled out an alcohol swap and a bandage large enough to cover it.

"I used to be good," she said as he started tending to her wound. "The girl I was before all of this seemed innocent and loving. She had a fiance and a family that loved her. She would never hurt anyone..." Bucky laid the bandage over her gash carefully.

"I don't like those kinds of people."

"Excuse me?"

"People who don't have the guts to stand up for the people they care about and themselves. Think about it this way. You saved your own life, even when it called for something drastic. Do you think I'm a bad guy, Grace?"

"No. Why?"

"Because," he shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't hesitate to kill someone who was trying to hurt you." His eyes lifted and met hers for a moment. And she could see the sincerity in them. It made her relax for the moment. Then, her eyes widened a little.

"Really?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Thank you," she dropped her gaze to the floor. "I'll get dressed then come out and tell Steve. I'm sure he knows what to do now as far as authorities go and everything." Bucky nodded, then walked out with the first aid kit under his nonmetal arm.

* * *

Wanda sat at the edge of Grace's bed, her ankles crossed and hands fidgeting in her lap. Grace came out of the bathroom after a moment, drying her now clean hair with the towel before plopping down on the bed beside Wanda.

"So what is it exactly that you wanted to talk about?" Wanda asked. She was admittedly a little nervous about what Grace had to say. Wanda preferred to avoid the topic of the mall incident all together, since she felt guilty for dragging Grace out of the compound in the first place. Wanda was afraid Grace blamed her for what happened, especially since Steve certainly did for a moment.

"I don't know who else I can talk to about this," Grace cleared her throat, "but I had this feeling earlier... when Bucky was taking care of my forehead." She looked over at Wanda with fearful eyes. "Wanda, I think I have feelings for Bucky, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

"That's a shame," Wanda frowned. "Bucky doesn't get close to anyone. And Steve really seems to like you... How interesting."

"I like Steve," Grace shrugged, "and I think he's really attractive. I would say yes if he were to ever ask if I wanted to go on a date or whatever, but... Bucky said something, and i felt my heart sort of race. He makes my blood boil, and sometimes I want to hit him. But sometimes, I want to kiss him, too. Or rather, I want him to kiss me."

"Sounds like you have to decide what you want, then see if he would ever want the same thing," Wanda said, unsure of how to help Grace deal with this situation. Steve had showed a little interest in Grace, while Bucky seemed to only want to protect her for Steve's sake. It wasn't about Grace to Bucky as far as Wanda knew, it was about Steve.

"I was engaged... Am I betraying that person I used to be by moving on to someone else?"

"No," Wanda shook her head. "I think that you are you, not the person from before, but the person you are now. Your feelings are different because you're different and that's okay. Forget about the memories and forget about trying to be the old you. Focus on yourself now as the person you are, and forget everything else."

"Okay." Grace smiled over at Wanda, a genuine smile, which was a new thing for Wanda to see on Grace's face. She couldn't help but smile back.

"You'll be alright, Grace. We'll make sure you're fine."

"I know. Thank you."

"Anytime."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Grace slid on the little black dress that Wanda had loaned her. It was hard to believe that three months had already passed since Grace was found by the Avengers. Just two weeks ago, Grace confessed to Wanda that she had feelings for Bucky. Shortly after, Bucky left with Sam and Vision to handle a few things with Tony Stark and his team, leaving only Wanda, Grace, and Steve left in the compound.

Two days later, Steve asked Grace to dinner, just the two of them. As it turned out, Wanda was right, and Steve had admitted to finding himself interested in Grace. Since Wanda told Grace honestly before that Bucky wasn't the type to get into a relationship, she agreed to go out on the date with Steve. Wanda even loaned her a cute, short little black dress.

It was a single strapped dress with the thin black band going over her right shoulder, clasping to the rest of the dress in the back. It was low cut in the front and on her back. The tops of Grace's breasts were mostly exposed, but she figured that was the point. She let Wanda curl her hair and hour before, and even Grace felt like she was beautiful for a moment.

She met Steve outside the compound, joining him in his car. When he saw her, Steve couldn't get rid of the big grin on his face. Grace loved the way he smiled. It was really flattering on him, happiness. A big smile to light up the dark. That was the difference between Steve and Bucky. He was light and Bucky was darkness.

She was careful to keep her legs crossed on the ride there, since Wanda's dress exposed most of her legs. Steve occasionally stole a glance at her as he drove, one hand on the wheel and the other on the gear shift. Grace stared out of the window the whole way to the restaurant, fingers twirling pieces of her black curls nervously.

When they sat at the table, Grace had to admit to herself that she was warming up to the idea of going out with Steve like this more. He looked so handsome sitting across from her under the dim light of the fancy restaurant they were at.

"You know, I got to admit when I asked you to come to dinner with me, I kind of assumed you'd say no. You just didn't seem all that interested in me." His cheeks were flushed slightly. It was cute.

"Well I thought we had to have a professional relationship only, you know. I didnt know that you'd want to take me out, Steve. I'm not really totally put together." She looked down at her lap where her hands were fidgeting nervously. "Then again, maybe you just have a thing for Winter Soldiers." She grinned up at him for a moment before dropping her gaze again.

"Ha ha, very funny," Steve smiled, taking a sip of the wine he had ordered for them. "Bucky was my best pal before the whole Winter Soldier thing. So that isn't a fair statement. You, on the other hand, you're just different. In a good way. In a beautiful way."

"You mean broken."

"Not exactly," he chuckled. "I think you don't give yourself enough credit. I happen to thing you've got it together just as much as any of us do. Everyone is broken somewhere. For me, it was always with Peggy and Buck. They were my weak points, and when Peggy died, I as hurting pretty bad. So you're not the only one who feels that way."

"Hm, you sure you should be revealing your weaknesses to me, Captain America?" Grace smirked at him, sipping on her own wine, leaving a light lip stick mark on the rim of the glass. "If I'm a weapon that can be turned on by just a few words, shouldn't you be more careful?"

"Turned on by a few words, hm?"

"You know what I meant," Grace blushed slightly, downing the rest of her glass of wine. "I thought you were supposed to be all righteous and pure, Steve Rogers."

"I'm not righteous. And it's hard to keep my thoughts pure when you're wearing that dress, Grace. If I'm being honest anyways." His eyes met hers, holding her gaze for a moment. "Sorry," he looked away, "that was a little inappropriate."

"Steve, it's okay. You're human. You have human needs and desires. Expressing that isn't a bad thing. You don't have to be the perfect hero around me, Steve. Just be yourself." Grace liked this side of Steve much more than the one that always felt like he had to be censored and in control all the time. He never allowed himself to feel anything. Now that he was, Grace was admittedly even more attracted to him.

"That's a nice way of thinking about it." Steve felt a buzz in his pocket, then pulled out his burn phone to see Sam's name on the screen. He looked up at Grace apologetically. "I'm so sorry, but this may be important. Mind if I step outside?"

"No, it's fine," she waved him off. "Go do your thing, hero." He rolled his eyes playfully, then left the table. Grace shifted in her seat, hands folded over one another in her lap as she patiently waited for his return. She was actually having fun, and she was seeing a side of Steve that she hadn't known before. For the first time, she was seeing the man behind the mask, the human behind the hero. And she wasn't disappointed.

After a few minutes, Grace turned and looked towards the door, wondering where Steve had gone off to. Suddenly, someone sat down at her table, causing her to jerk back around. She was prepared to be angry and tell someone to go away, but it wasn't a random stranger sitting across from her now. It was Bucky.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Grace asked him, eyebrows furrowing.

"I could ask you the same thing," Bucky frowned at her. "I thought you werent interested in Steve, but you're obviously on a date with him. You planning on sticking with it? On going steady?" Grace thought for a moment.

"I don't know, Bucky, but I don't think it's any of your business either way."

"Yeah, well, I have to look out for Steve, don't I?" Grace was more than confused as to why he was so angry with her. She wasn't doing anything wrong, but for some reason Bucky was glaring at her like she had. Like she was guilty of something.

"I'm not doing anything wrong, Buck. Why are you so mad at me?"

"You shouldn't go out with Steve because you don't have feelings for him," Bucky accused, leaning across the table to get closer to her. "Vision let it slip that Wanda told him you had a little crush on me. Yet, here you are."

Grace sat back in her seat, her cheeks flushing a bright red. Bucky stayed where he was, keeping the distance between them minimal so he could whisper.

"I do. I did. But you're not the type to have feelings, so I decided to give Steve a shot. Because he'll actually return them. I cant live my life with a school girl crush that'll never amount to anything. I'm a woman, Bucky, and I have things I want to do with my life. Falling in love is one of them."

"But you're not in love with Steve."

"I like him, Bucky. A lot. Hes not what I thought he was, and I think I have a shot at something good with him. He's so sweet." Bucky stared at her for a moment, jaw tightening as he looked around the restaurant and thought about what she said, a frown permanently ingrained on his handsome face. Then, he let his emotions cloud his judgement, and he just acted. Without thinking or hesitating, he reacted.

Bucky reached across the table and put his hand on the back of her head, fingers tangling in her curls, and he brought her face forwards until he could smash his lips against hers. Grace let out a sharp gasp, which let his tongue invade her mouth, deepening the kiss. Although stunned at first, Grace couldn't help but sink into the kiss, reciprocating it after the shock passed.

Bucky pulled away after a moment, leaving her panting slightly and blushing even worse than before. It was actually a very cute expression she was showing, a mixture of desire and embarrassment.

"Remember that while you're finishing up your date with Steve." He stood up, pulling his sleeve down over his metal arm and walked back towards the kitchen. Grace figured he probably came through the back door for some reason, more than likely just to see her before Steve came back.

Her hands trembled slightly as she wiped the lipstick from her face, knowing it was more than likely messed up now, after the hot, passionate kiss that Bucky planted on her lips. Grace downed her second glass of wine, then tried to collect herself.

She was so confused. Bucky wasn't the time to show emotions like that, or to get jealous. Which she now understood to be the reason he showed up in the first place. She had no idea what she was supposed to do, or whether or not to tell Steve. She decided, when she saw Steve coming in the door again, that it was best to keep it a secret between Bucky and herself.

* * *

 **Sorry it's been so long! I've been so busy lately it sucks DX well I hope you guys are still reading and thst you enjoy the chapter :) tell me what you think and what you hope will happen. Your feedback is what helps me make decisions in the story lol thanks again.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Bucky jolted out of bed at the sound of Grace screaming. Panic kicked in, and he rushed to her room, bursting through the door which cause it to slam against the wall. Grace was laying in bed, hands gripping the sides tightly as she squirmed and cried out in her sleep. He was confused, but he hurried over to her side, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her away.

She jerked her body upright, letting out one last scream when she first woke up. Her blue eyes were wide, her black hair sticking to her due to the sweat in her neck and forehead. She panted heavily, searching the dark for the face of the person who woke her up. Suddenly, her light flicked on and she cringed for a moment until her eyes adjusted.

Bucky stood by the side of her bed, looking towards the door where Steve was standinf with his hand by the light switch and Wanda behind him looking over his shoulder. Grace took a deep ragged breath, trying to calm herself although she was shaking violently.

"What happened?" Steve asked, eyebrows furrowed with concern. Grace shook her head, bringing her hands up to cover her face. "Hey," he said softer, walking further into the room and sitting by her feet on the bed. "Grace, what is it?"

"I dont want to talk about it with everyone here," she said, words slightly muffled by her hands. Steve looked up at Wanda and Bucky, eyes asking them to give them the room. Wanda nodded and returned to her own bed, while Bucky lingered for a moment, unwilling to leave her side.

"Buck, its okay. You can go back to sleep. I got her."

"I wanna know what the hell caused her to freak like that."

"Bucky, please."

"It's fine," Grace sniffed. "He can stay." Bucky moved to her door, closing it carefully, then walked over to the other side of her bed and sat adjacent to Steve with his eyss fixated on her as he waited for an explanation. "I'm sorry for waking you... I didn't know I was screaming out loud. It was another memory, but it was awful..."

"What was it?" Bucky asked.

"Remember I mentioned that I had a fiance in my old life?" Steve looked confused because he hadnt known, but Bucky nodded. "I thought the relationship was good. I remembered someone telling the old me that I was lucky. But when I fell asleep I dreamt of something that happened to me. That he did to me."

"What did he do, Grace?"

"He beat me," she explained, hands gripping the blanket in her lap. "I refused to have sex with him for some reason. I think our wedding was coming up and I wanted to wait for some reason. I don't know. But it pissed him off. I guess he'd hit me before, because I just knew what was coming. I got off the bed and cowered in the corner. He grabbed his belt out of the loops, and he walked over to me and used it to smack my legs. I just cried I was so scared. He knelt down and forced the belt between my teeth and he said I better do what he said or else."

"Jesus, Grace... I'm so sorry. What happened?" Steve asked, sympathy and disgust turning his lips down. She inhaled slowly.

"I lashed out, and I hit him. He was stunned for a moment, so I ran as fast as I could out of the house. The idea of him making me do anything made me sick. I ran until my legs got tired and I sat on the side of the road until morning. That's all I remember."

"I'd kill that bastard if I knew his name." Bucky was enraged, his body shaking with anger. Steve glanced over at his friend, recognizing that look on his face. As much as he didn't want it to be true, he was starting to wonder if Bucky had feelings for Grace, too.

"I'm sorry, Grace. I wish I could help somehow, but I cant make you forget anything," Steve sighed. He went to stand up, but Grace grabbed his hand.

"Stay," she said with pleading eyes. "I don't want to sleep alone. Please."

"Okay, I can do that." He smiled warmly, reassuringly, and she started to calm down a little. Bucky cleared his throat and stood, turning to head towards the door. Grace reached over and grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging him back.

"You can stay, too, Bucky. If you want... If you don't mind..." There was so much pain and fear in her voice. Bucky didn't want anything to do with Steve and Grace's relationship or whatever it was, but he couldn't tell her no. Not then. Not when she was like that, so fragile and afraid. Trembling even as she held onto his shirt. Bucky sighed, then sat back down.

Steve made a face, but got up to turn off the light and returned to the bed anyways. Grace scooted to the middle, and Steve laid down to her right, while Bucky flopped down on the bed to her left. He propped his head up with his hands, gaze focused on the ceiling.

Grace felt so safe sandwiched between the two men, her two protectors, guardians even. After a couple minutes, she stopped shaking and started to finally relax. Half an hour later, both Steve and Grace drifted off to sleep.

Bucky stayed awake for hours, thinking deeply about everything. Steve's soft spot had become obvious. Grace meant so much to him, in such a short amount of time. Bucky knew Steve was always one to love with all of his heart, a pure and true kind of love. Bucky used to be a little more like him, before he was changed into a Winter Soldier. Now, he was always serious, always cautious and afraid to let himself care too much about anyone or anything.

But with Grace, he could feel himself slowly but surely sliding down a very slippery slope. Once he admitted it to her, he couldn't take it back, and he wasn't ready for that. He wasn't ready for what would come after if he let it be known that he actually cares about someone, a woman for that matter. Someone he both cared for and desired.

He thought about returning to his own room, especially when Grace curled up against Steve's side, one hand holding onto his shirt like it was keeping her grounded. Steve had slipped an arm around her, holding her closer. It made his stomach churn, and he wanted to be away from it. He was just about to get up when she shifted, groaning quietly and sleepily, then rolled over onto her other side, facing Bucky's torso, and rested her head and right hand on his chest. Her leg curled around his, and she snuggled into him.

He couldn't bring himself to move, but the churning in his stomach stopped. Everything seemed to stop entirely, the aching, the anger, and the world around him. Bucky finally settled down, sinking deeper into the bed. He hesitantly lowered his hand onto her soft raven hair, and he let it sit there as he finally felt himself drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I know it's a little shorter, but it's just a bit of fluff before we get to the action and the crazy stuff :) look forward to next chapter! We're finally going to learn Grace's story :3 hope you guys enjoyed! Leave a review please and let me know what you hope to see happen soon :) I will say two people are about to get intimate very soon ;) Grace will sleep with someone. Will it be Bucky? Steve? Both? You decide! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Wanda sat on the couch, her feet curled up underneath her to make room for Vision, who sat at the opposite end of the sofa, intently watching a movie that Wanda had picked out. He had analyzed every bit of it, which sort of ruined the movie entirely, but Wanda didn't really mind. She just stared at his focused eyes, watching him as he watched the movie.

The credits started to roll, and Vision sat back, then turned his attention to Wanda, who was all too amused by Visions commitment to understand everything about the movie and the characters involved. She chuckled,

"It's hard to enjoy it when you look into it too much," she commented, stretching her legs out and resting her heels on the coffee table Vision frowned,

"Did I ruin it for you?"

"No, Vis, you ruined it for yourself. I was having fun," she smiled over at him. She paused for a moment, tucked her hair behind her ear, then reached over to lay her hand over his. "You worry too much. There's no reason to. I always have fun with you." Vision stared down at their overlapping hands for a moment, then turned his over so he could hold hers properly.

"I feel the same way, Wanda," he said softly, eyes never leaving their now interlocked fingers. Wanda started to blush, which made Vision grin. "I enjoy every moment I spend with you, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. Your presence is enough to satisfy me."

"Vision, there's so much for you to still learn about satisfaction..." Wanda bit into her lip, leaning closer to him. She was ready to break that boundary that kept them from being what they both wanted to be. Vision wasn't entirely human, although he was trying to do everything right. However, he didn't get that she wanted more than just movie nights and ice cream dates.

"I've researched what you're referring to," Vision said, cupping her face in his hands and bringing her closer. "I'm certain I can provide for you the satisfaction that you desire." She sat up, face inching towards his. They were just about to lock lips when Steve came into the room. Wanda backed away, and they both turned to look at the clearly agitated Captain.

"What's wrong?" Wanda asked him.

"This," he sighed, holding up a little piece of paper. "Grace wanted to go find her ex fiance and figure out who she was. She remembered where she lived before, and she asked me to take her there. I said no because it didn't matter. She wasn't the same person. I thought she agreed, but I just found this on her bed saying she got Bucky to take her in my car."

"Do you know where they went?"

"Yes, she told me before where it was. And the fiance's name." He crumbled up the piece of paper and tossed it into the trash angrily. "I cant believe Bucky would do this. He should know better than anyone that your past doesn't define you. She doesn't need to know."

"Take my car," Wanda told Steve. "Just go after him. Vision and i will hold down the fort. You should be there anyways, just in case she needs comforting. Unless you want to leave Bucky to it."

"Thanks, Wanda. I owe you one." Steve snatched up the keys and practically ran out of the compound. Wanda chuckled a little, then turned back to Vision, grinning.

"Now, where were we?"

* * *

Bucky looked over at Grace as he drove, wishing she'd say something to break the uncomfortably solemn silence between them. He'd gone against what Steve wanted for her, the least she could do was tell him why it was so important to go back to her home town in the first place. What exactly was she going back for anyways?

"Grace, what's the plan when we get there?" He finally asked, forcing his attention to stay focused on the road. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"My ex fiance." She didn't remove her gaze from the window and the world passing outside of it. Bucky wanted to slam on the breaks, to turn the car around, but he didn't. Some part of him knew she'd be angry if he did, so he kept driving. His teeth started gritting together.

"Why the hell would you want to see that slimy bastard?"

"Because he's the only name I remember and I know where he is. I want to know my past, Bucky. I want to know who I was and why he did what he did." She finally turned to look at him, a mixture of anger, sorrow, and determination in her gaze. "He's in prison because of me. At the very least, he owes me some answers."

"Was it because of the abuse?" Bucky asked. Grace's gaze immediately dropped at she thought back to the random, horrific memory that drove her to make this trip. She shook her head then turned back to the window. Bucky raised an eyebrow. "No? Then how did you cause him to go to prison, exactly?"

"I left him. I went to stay with a friend, where I thought he wouldn't find me. But he did. And he did far worse than just beat me." Grace tried not to let the images and memory run through her head, but it was hard to stop.

"What did he do?" There was poison in his voice, and Grace knew better than to go into detail with Bucky. However, her silence only made him more upset. "Grace, what the hell did he do to you? What is he in prison for?"

"Bucky, please..."

"Did he... force himself on you?"

She was silent, water pooling in the bottom of her eyes for a moment before she forced them back. She wasnt a victim anymore, wasn't a weak, sad, beaten person anymore. Grace had her strength, and she was going to use it to gather the courage to face her ex fiance and find our who she was and how she ended up a Winter Soldier.

"Grace, tell me!"

"Why?" She snapped. Her eyes lifted to him, and he could see the pain behind her facade even if she was doing her best to hide it. "Why does it matter to you? It's in the past. You and Steve said it yourselves, that isn't me anymore. He didn't do anything to me, nothing. What he did to her... it doesn't matter anymore. But he never laid a finger on me as far as I'm concerned."

"That's not how that works, Grace, he still..." Bucky trailed off, not wanting to think of her like that, scared and crying, screaming out in pain and begging for mercy. His jaw visibly tightened. "It does matter to me. It matters to me because you matter to me, and that's how it works."

"He didn't touch me," Grace said, trying to convince herself at the same time as Bucky. "I'm not that Grace anymore. My body is mine, and it has never been touched by anyone. It's isn't and never was his." She wondered what scars were caused by him, and was marks were left by his abuse. It didnt matter either way. It couldn't matter.

* * *

Bucky was the first to get out of the car when they arrived at the prison. Grace hesitated, but after taking a deep, preparatory breath, she climbed out and joined Bucky's side. He looked down at her, sympathy more evident than any other emotion.

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" He asked her. She nodded, but she immediately reached over to grab his arm. Bucky led the way inside, talking for Grace as they met each guard. After the proper paperwork was filled out, Grace and Bucky were led back to the room where people could talk on the phone through the glass.

Grace sat down, hands gripping the fabric of her dress over her knees in anticipation as she waited for her ex fiance to be brought out. Finally, after a few minutes of anxiety, the door buzzed and he was led out in cuffs. He was tall, and admittedly handsome. His eyes were a piercing blue and his unkempt blonde shaggy hair stopped just above his eyes. He was forced down into the chair, and it was obvious that he was surprised to see her.

She reached out with a shaky hand and grabbed the phone hanging on the wall beside her. She stared into his wife eyes for a moment, then put the phone to her ear. The man on the other side stared at Bucky leaning on the wall behind her, then grabbed the phone and brought his attention her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked her.

"There's so many things I need to know. You're the only thing I can remember, so I need you to answer some questions for me." She tried to keep her voice steady, but it wasnt easy at all. Seeing him in front of her made her remember that terror more than ever.

"What do you mean?"

"Your name is William Allen, but you go by Will. Correct? We were engaged once, and I'm the reason you're in here. Because you beat me, and you attacked me after our separation. That's all I know. And i know my name is Grace. Fill in the blanks."

"What did they do to you? You really don't remember anything?"

"They?"

"I sold you," he scoffed. "A man approached me in prison and asked if I wanted revenge. Of course I did. Im going to be in here for another twenty years thanks to you. He said he'd set up an account with twenty grand in it and he'd shorten my sentence if I told him where you were and everything he needed to know. And if I'd keep my mouth shut. He said he was a scientist. Some Russian doctor that wanted human experiments."

"You sold me?" She asked, somehow angrier than she was already. She knew he'd done awful things to her, but selling her out for twenty grand knowing she'd be kidnapped and experimented on was awful. "What's my full name?"

"Sarah Grace. Your name is Sarah. Grace is your last name. You were born and raised here. We met in high school, got engaged two years after graduation. What else do you want to know?" He was clearly a cold hearted individual. He was uncaring, and his eyes held nothing but anger towards her. Grace took a deep breath.

"I had a dream. I thought it was a memory. And in it, we were happy. And i was taken from you. Did that happen?" She remembered the first dream she had about him. He seemed to love her, and she was forcefully taken from him.

"No, it was a reoccurring nightmare you had. You were kidnapped when you were little, but the guy was caught trying to cross state lines before he could get away with you. It was annoying. You'd scream in your sleep."

"So you never loved me?"

"I thought I did, but hey. You were a good lay. I fell in love with the things that pretty little mouth of yours could do if that means anything." Bucky pushed off the wall, walking forwards to stand by her side. Will chuckled. "Is this your boyfriend? So you're into the big beefy jock type now, Hm? You always did like being dominated. You liked it when I forced you."

"Stop it," Grace said, her voice low and shaky.

"Even though you screamed, you got so turned on. There's a little fun fact for you, buddy," Will looked up at Bucky, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms cockily. "She likes it rough. She used to fight and cry and scream, but in the end she'd just take it like a good little whore. That's all she was good for anyways. So needy and clingy all the time. At least you don't have to worry about knocking her up. I got an extra ten years because the doctors say I made it to where she cant have kids anymore. I don't know if I believe that, but I'm not a doctor."

Bucky snatched the phone from Grace.

"You sick son of a bitch, I hope you rot in here for the rest of your life." His whole body was trembling in anger. "Grace is and always was too good for you. She didn't deserve what you did to her, and i hope you get it back ten fold while you're locked up in here."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I have twenty grand waiting on me when I get out. To be honest, I was hoping she was gone for good. She never brought anything but trouble. To think I was going to marry her. What a riot. She couldn't even clean up after herself." Will smirked up at Bucky. "Here's another fun fact. Just for you, buddy. She isn't good at much, but she gives good head." Will stood and leaned closer to the glass. "And she makes the sweetest little sounds when she's crying during sex."

Bucky lost it. He couldn't stand it anymore, and his fury boiled over into an uncontrollable rage. With his metal arm, he slammed his fist into the glass, shattering it despite how thick and strong it was. He grabbed Will by the throat, then dragged him across the counter. Grace fell to the side, watching in horror as Bucky violently beat the man pinned underneath him.

"Bucky stop! Stop it!" She screamed frantically, tears streaming down her face. Bucky ignored her, continuing his brutal rampage on Wills face and torso. Blood poured from the man's nose and mouth, s few of his teeth falling to the floor beneath his face.

"BUCKY STOP!" She cried out desperately, rushing over to grab Bucky's arm. She pulled it back, and he finally stood up, looking down at the bruised and bloody mess of a man on the floor, still handcuffed and in an orange jumpsuit. He kicked him in the ribs one last time and spit down at him. Grace tugged harder, but Bucky lingered for a moment longer.

"She'll be fine. Dont worry about her, she's loved and appreciated. If she wasn't here, you'd be dead. Remember that the next time you talk about her like that. I could kill you if I wanted. And i really really do." He took off running, dragging Grace behind him as they booked it to the car. He sped off before anyone could get to him, and he drove them back to the motel.

* * *

Grace practically ran out of the car, bursting through the motel door and immediately beginning the process of repacking the clothes she'd brought with her. Bucky came in behind her, blood staining his jacket. He walked to her, and he reached out to touch her arm but she flinched away. Her eyes shot up to his, a glare digging into his gaze harshly.

"Don't touch me. Grab your stuff. We have to go."

"Grace, I'm sorry. I just lost it. The things he was saying about you, I couldn't just sit there and take it anymore. It was wrong. What did you want me to do?" He grabbed her arm, but she immediately jerked it away from him.

"You're just as bad as he is. You could've killed him, Bucky. You almost did."

"That's not fair," he frowned. "I would never do the things he did to you, and he fucking deserved to die. Scum like that shouldn't get away Scot free."

"Hes in prison, Bucky! He didnt get away with anything!"

"He gets a bed, a roof over his head, two meals a day, and everything else a person needs. How is that fair? He's perfectly fine, while he ruined your life. Sold you to the people that made you a Winter Soldier. Did you even hear what he said?! Because of him, you'll never have a family! You dont even have the option anymore!"

"I heard it. I heard everything he said, Bucky," she seethed. "I wanted so badly to reach across the counter and bash his face in, but there's something called self control. We're not killers, Bucky. We dont kill people. What would Steve say? Hm? What you did makes you no better than him."

"Don't say that to me. Not after everything he said to you."

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. You're obviously capable of the same brutality he was," she zipped up her suitcase. "I don't see how that's different." She started towards the door, but he grabbed her wrist, knocking her suitcase out of her hand. He yanked her back, forcing her to spin and look at him.

"I would never hurt you, Grace, first of all. I'm not Steve. Im not ever going to be him, and if you want will always take the high road and be the bigger person, then you should just stick with him. Ive killed onnocent people before, and I live with that guilty. I remember each and every one of them. But I do not feel bad, and i will not feel bad, for hurting someone like him. For giving him what he deserved. The justice system doesn't work. There's no justice until someone feels the pain they caused others."

"It was my pain. Not yours. My justice. It should've been my decision."

"When are you going to realize that your pain is my pain? That seeing you hurting hurts me, too. Damn it, Grace. Steve isn't the only person falling for you!" He pulled her to him suddenly, holding her small frame against his and planting a firm, desperate kiss on her lips. Grace stayed there, stunned, then she let out a small gasp and she was suddenly pushed back onto the bed.

Bucky was there on top of her in an instant, placing himself between her knees and kissing her passionately, hands gripping her hips tightly. Grace was stiff at first, caught off guard by his sudden show of affection. Then, she sank into his touch, into his kiss, letting herself enjoy the feeling of his lips on hers, the warmth of him engulfing her. She was just about to give in completely when she heard the door slam shut.

"Steve," Grace , pushing back on Bucky's chest to pull her legs out so she could stand. "Steve, what're you doing here?"

"I was worried about you," he sighed, looking back at Bucky. "Guess I shouldn't have come." He turned around to open the door again, but Grace ran to him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her chest into his back and hugging him tightly.

"No, please, Steve, don't go. Please... Stay."

"You don't need me, Grace."

"His name is Will," she told him. "He went to prison for beating me and raping me after I broke off our engagement. Because of him... I'll never have kids of my own. My real name is Sarah Grace. As far as I know, I was never loved, never cared about, never wanted... not until you two found me. I do need you. I need both of you." She laid her head on his back, and Steve gently closed the door again. "Don't hate me. Please."

"I couldn't hate you," he told her, turning around to hold her tightly. "Forget about him and forget about who you used to be. You're Grace now, our Grace. We all need you, we all care about you, and we all want you around. You don't have to be afraid anymore. We're not going anywhere." He held her close and rubbed her back as she cried on him. Bucky sat on the edge of the bed, hands buried in his hair. But neither of them were ever going to leave her, and it was becoming obvious to both of them that she was their weakness.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Grace flinched when she heard Bucky's bedroom door slam after a particularly loud argument with Steve and Sam. Thankfully Wanda and Vision were gone together, which made it better since they weren't around to lecture Bucky, too. He already heard it from everyone else, and he was more than sick of being their troubled child.

Steve came into Grace's room once the dust settled, sitting on the edge of her bed and resting his elbows on his knees. Grace sat up by her pillows, hugging her knees against her chest to try to make herself smaller since she felt like she was much if the reason everything happened. He took a deep breath, then unexpectedly flopped down on his back and stared at the ceiling.

"I feel like a hypocrite."

"Why?" Grace let her body relax a little since Steve seemed to be doing the same. He was always so proper around everyone else but it was different with her and Bucky. She liked that side of Steve better, and she felt more comfortable around him when he was being casual.

"I know what Bucky did was wrong, and it made me so upset that he did it. I yelled at him for it, told him it was stupid and reckless and he could have killed him. As much as I want to make him understand why it was wrong, I can't help but feel like I would have done the same. If I had heard the things that guy told you, I would have snapped, too. Because it's you."

"Then listen to your own lecture."

"You don't think he deserved it?" Steve asked, turning so he could meet her gaze. "What he did to you was awful, Grace, and what he said was just as bad. Part of me thinks he had it coming. That I would have done the same thing Bucky did. You think it's wrong?"

"You told me that I'm not that girl, Steve, so he technically didn't do anything to me. I want to think of it like that, and when I do, no, I don't believe he deserved what happened. Bucky was so... brutal. I didn't think he was capable of that, Steve. He was going to kill him if I hadn't stopped him. Even if Will had done those things to me... he doesnt deserve death. Because I'm not dead."

"Bucky was different when we were friends before the Avengers and before the super soldier serum. It's hard to think of him as he is now, instead of like he was. Bucky used to be harmless. He wouldn't hurt anyone innocent now either, but he's been hardened by his own guilt. He was forced to kill, and even if he couldn't control himself, he remembers it. It still tears him up. Don't be afraid of him, Grace. He'd never hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of him, I'm angry." Grace swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "You were on the phone with Stark earlier. It's why you got so mad and started yelling at Bucky. Why? What did Stark say?" Steve immediately dropped his head. "Tell me."

"The UN is calling for you and Bucky to be taken into custody and kept in separate cells for a maximum sentence of thirty years..." He sighed. "They know about Will. The police report included the detail about Bucky's metal arm, and Will of course told them it was you."

"What do we do?" Grace asked, eyes wide and afraid. "Thirty years, Steve? I cant be isolated for thirty years. As far as I'm concerned, I've barely lived a life, but what I have lived I don't want to give up. Being separated from all of you... I couldn't stand it."

"I won't let them take you. Were moving from the compound. Somewhere in hiding with a friend of ours, where we kept Bucky. It'll be okay, Grace, you'll be safe and you'll be with us. Don't be afraid." He reached out to grab her hand. "We'll fight to keep the two of you with us."

"You don't have to do that for me. Protect Bucky. He matters more."

"Grace, can I ask you something?" He said suddenly. She looked up at him for a moment, trying to read his face, then nodded slowly. "When I walked in on you and Bucky the other day... I was surprised because I didn't think you wanted him like that. Ive been trying my hardest to get close to you, but he seems to be beating me to it. I guess... I guess I'm just curious if you want me like that, too, or if I should just go ahead and throw in the towel"

Grace blinked at him for a moment, then turned her face away. She took a deep breath, hands gripping the edge of the bed tightly. Steve was prepared for the answer be expected her to give him. He expected her to say no, and to try and let him down gently. But as usual, Grace surprised him. She quickly turned back around, sat up, put a hand on his cheek, and pressed her lips to his. She held them there for a moment before pulling away, leaving her hand on his chiseled jaw.

"Would you think bad of me if I said yes?" She asked him, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. "Does it make me the slut that Will accused me of being?" She leaned up to kiss him again, this time harder, needier, taking any words he had straight from his mouth. He pulled away for a moment to breathe, then shook his head.

"No. No, you're not like that, Grace. You're whatever you want to be." He combed a hand through her long black locks, untangling a few along the way. Steve used a hand to tilt her head upwards, bringing her mouth back to his. Steve wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his lap so it was easier to deepen the already passionate kiss.

Just as things were getting heated, the door opened and closed, causing Grace and Steve to release each other and look up. Bucky stood there, arms crossed, wearing nothing but some pajama pants and a frown.

"Bucky," Grace breathed his name in a panic, standing up to approach him and apologize. "Bucky, I-" Before she could say anything else, Bucky pulled her to him, kissing her with his own lips, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He nudged her head to the side, bringing his lips to her throat and looking over her shoulder at Steve, who was standing now. Their eyes met, a sort of weirs understanding forming with just their joined gaze, then Steve removed his own shirt.

 **(WARNING: Mature Content. Feel Free to Skip)**

Bucky reached down and scooped Grace up, hands planted firmly on her outer thighs as he carried her towards the bed. He stopped though, and Grace was shocked when she felt Steve's bare chest against her back, radiating heat. She turned her head to the side and Steve immediately caught her lips while Bucky nipped gently at her neck.

A moan escaped her lips, unable to handle the attention from both of the stunning men pressing into her. This was all new to her, since the only intimacy she remembered came from Will, and it wasnt pleasant. These feelings and the chills spreading over her were all new to her, and it was all overwhelming her so suddenly.

Steve suddenly took hold of her wrists, and the two of them laid her down on the bed, Bucky down by her legs, and Steve sitting with her torso in his lap and her head on his chest. He had his head ducked low, kissing her cheek and lips while his hands slid up and down her sides and arms. Bucky's hands moved up her thighs, stopping at her shorts then moving back down.

"Please," she breathed out desperately, nails digging into Steve's biceps as her body began to squirm under his touch. Steve looked up at Bucky, and another silent agreement was made, a pact even. They were friends, soldiers, and brothers until the end, and they saw that in each other's eyes. Bucky nodded at him, then moved between her legs, unbuttoning Grace's shorts slowly.

"Sh, Grace," Steve cooed to her as she whimpered and moved around as all these new experiences attacked her senses all at once. Her eyes lifted to Steve, who was above her, a gentle smile calming her down a little. Bucky slowly pulled her knees apart, taking her shorts in his hands and dragging them down her legs, tossing them to the floor.

Her underwear was white, with a small lace trim, and they fit tight and hugged her hips and bottom in a way that made both Steve and Bucky take a deep breath.

"Don't stare," she whined, immediately pushing her knees together again in embarrassment. She tried to sit up away from Steve, but he reached around to cup her breasts in his hands, drawing a gasp from her as she fell back against him. "Steve," she panted, biting into her lips as his hands worked their magic. The face she was making because of Steve made Bucky feel a little more jealous than he would ever admit. He wanted to be the one making her make those sweet little sounds, and bite her lip in need.

He pulled her underwear to the side and didn't hesitate to slide a finger into her. Grace yelped, jerking up and grabbing Bucky's shoulders in surprise, eyes wide and staring up at him as his hand started moving back and forth. Her head fell, eyes squeezing shut.

"Oh, Bucky, please," she groaned, nails digging into his shoulders. Steve sat back for a moment, noticing the way Bucky's face lit up when she said his name. However, Grace didn't leave Steve out for long. She dropped one hand from Buckys shoulder and reached back to grab Steves belt, tearing it off and out of the belt loops with her super soldier strength. It clattered to the floor and she immediately got to work carefully unbuttoning his jeans with her shaky hand.

Steve sat up to help her, and he let out a short grunt as her hand made contact with his bare skin beneath his boxers. Bucky continued to move his hand, adding a finger to draw her attention back to him. Steve wasn't giving it up easy though. He leaned forwards to kiss her neck, tearing her tank top and yanking it off of her body. His kisses travelled down her neck and shoulders, hands gripping her upper arms tightly.

Steve's name was just about to slip from her lips when she felt the pressure of Bucky where his fingers had been. She let out a sharp cry, body shaking and teeth grinding together and he broke the barrier between them, pushing into her using his hands on her hips to give him leverage. Steve's face flushed, and he turned away, unable to see Bucky taking what he wanted so badly before he was able to. He looked back up at Grace though when she took him in her hand again, body slowly adjusting to Bucky's unexpected size.

As she rubbed him with her small hand, Steve started to relax, sinking into the amazing feeling of her hand wrapped around him, sliding up and down rapidly as Bucky rocked his hips into hers. Steve grabbed her face a little rougher than intended, kissing her hotly as she moaned against his lips. Bucky tightened his grip on her hips, amazed by how amazing she felt, digging his thumbs into the soft parts of her hips. Unfortunately, he dug a little too hard, his metal thumb gripping a little too tightly.

She let out a sharp cry, and he immediately pulled his entire body away. Grace sat up, a slight throbbing where his thumbs had been. Bucky's eyes were wide, and he moved to stand and button up his jeans. Grace rushed to stop him by grabbing his hands.

"No, don't," she frowned at him. "I'm fine, Bucky, you don't have to stop. Its okay."

"Grace, I hurt you."

"I'm fine," she insisted, reaching to pull him back to her by the belt loop. Steve sat back, disappointed that she redirected all her attention to Bucky. She sat Bucky down on her right, and Steve moved to sit to her left. Grace looked back and forth from the two men she'd let into her life, into her heart and soul, then she shifted to Steve, straddling him suddenly. She lifted her body, positioned , then lowered herself onto him, shaking and whimpering as her body readjusted once again.

Steve held onto her, forehead resting on her shoulder as he bit back the sounds he wanted to let out. She was squeezing him, and it felt so good. Grace lifted herself and dropped back down over and over, rolling her hips, driving Steve wild. Her hand reached to grip Bucky, moving her hand along with her hips in sync, then leaned her body over to press her lips into his. He let out a groan, the soft vibrations of it against her lips causing her to grin.

"You almost there?" She asked after a few minutes of constant motion with her hips and hand. Both Bucky and Steve were panting hard, their toned muscles tensing, bodies vibrating slightly as she worked to drive them both to the edge.

Steve couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her waist and helped her to bounce faster, bringing himself to the edge, then pushing himself over. Steve finally let out one last loud moan, hands holding her tightly, entire body trembling as he rode through it. Grace could feel it all, and it only turned her on more.

Steve laid back, exhausted, panting hard as his firm chest rose and fell rapidly. Bucky suddenly reached over, dragging her away from Steve and flipping her onto her back, slipping between her legs and replacing Steve, drawing another moan from her.

"Bucky, don't stop," she breathed as he pushed in and out of her. She could feel the pressure building in her, making every motion, every thrust, carry more impact. Her whole body was becoming incredibly sensitive to his touch, to the feeling of him inside her. Steve reached over to take her hand as Bucky forced himself and Grace over the edge. She let out a loud cry, which only barely muffled Bucky's own, and her back arched upwards as the orgasm tore through her entire body, causing her toes to curl and her muscles to tighten.

She fell back onto the bed, convulsing every few seconds for a minute or two as she came down from the high Bucky and Steve brought her to. Bucky rolled over onto his back, laying on the opposite side of her that Steve was on. She grabbed his hand, too, pulling both of them closer to her as she snuggled up to them.

"Ive never felt like that before," she admitted to them with a little chuckle. "You guys... are amazing." Steve smiled and kissed her shoulder gently,

"The feeling is mutual, I can promise you that." He squeezed her hand. "It's a lot different when it's with cares about you. Isn't it?" She turned her head to look into his beautiful eyes, then briefly let go of Bucky's hand to comb through Steve's now messy blond hair.

"It's so much different, so much better. The best I've ever had."

"For us, too," Bucky commented, rolling onto his side so he could rest his head on his hand and look over her barely clothed body. She was bare except for the matching underwear set they left on. He thought about how beautiful she looked in white. Grace made a face,

"Really? A couple of gorgeous men such as yourselves... I bet you both had plenty of other women who made you feel good." There was no way. They were amazing, sculpted perfectly, and sweet as could be. With all the women they had to have been with, one as inexperienced and damaged as she was couldn't be that outstanding.

"None like you. Nothing even close to you," Bucky reassured her, his expression serious to show her that he was telling the truth.

"Not that there were many others," Steve laughed.

"Speak for yourself, Cap," Bucky teased his friend. They looked at each other for a moment, grinning, then both leaned over to kiss each side of her cheek.

"Doesn't matter who we were with before you," Steve whispered in her ear. "They werent you, and they didn't feel like you. You are absolutely perfect. Ive never been the first one to... you know."

"To be honest, I've never gotten there with anyone else," she shrugged. "I always had to do it myself, from what I remember about me and Will. He didn't care about making me feel good. It was all about a means to an end for him."

"Forget about him," Bucky told her, laying with his chin on her head, throwing an arm over her. "You have us now, so you can just forget all about that asshole. We'll make you feel all the right things, Grace.. we'll take care of you."

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise," they said in unison, both rolling onto their sides to hold her. She was sandwiched between them again, this time with most of her skin bare and touching theirs. It was warmer, and just like before, she'd never felt safer. They cared so much about her, and she cared about them. She may have even been falling for the two super soldiers. She hadn't experienced this kind of love and intense passion before, but it was amazing and beautiful, and she wanted more of it for a long, long time.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked the chapter :) I know the end is super smutty, but there's a warning, and I hope those of you that don't like that stuff skipped it XD but if you do like that stuff, I hope I didn't disappoint. ;) Leave a review and let me know what you think so far, and what you think about the relationship between the three of them :D thanks for reading! Can't wait to see what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Grace woke with her head on someone's chest and a hand running through her hair softly. She stayed still for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of being so comfortable. The lingering cologne was easily recognizable. It was Steve, still in bed, still holding her in his arms. She nuzzled against his firm chest, smile growing as she woke up completely.

"Good morning," she said, and the hand stroking her hair paused momentarily. She opened her eyes and lifted her face to meet Steve's loving gaze. "I'm surprised you're still in bed. It isn't often you sleep in anymore."

"Sh," he cooed to her, but he wasn't smiling. He wasn't relaxed and comfortable with her laying on him like she expected him to be. His jaw was tight and his eyes were sad. Steve tried to smile, but Grace could see right through it. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Steve, what's wrong?" She sat up completely, looking around the dark room that she realized didn't belong to her. "Where's Bucky?" Steve shook his head at her, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her back down onto him.

"Dont say anything, Grace. Just relax." The room was more like a cell, dark, damp, with nothing but a bed and a toilet and sink in the far corner. Grace's eyes widened as her fear grew. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep between Steve and Bucky the night before after passionate intimacy with the both of them. What could have happened while she slept?

"Steve, where are we? What's going on? Please tell me," she frowned, practically begging for some answers. Steve took a deep breath, and he was just about to speak when the door to the dark room opened, temporarily blinding them with a bright light. Grace jerked upwards, looking at where the door opened and a silhouette was now standing. Steve sat up this time, too, sliding off of the bed and getting to his feet.

"Come on, Cap. Times up," a familiar voice told Steve. Grace looked over at him, then back at the silhouette. The light faded, her vision adjusting, and she realized that it was Stark standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and a pair of sunglasses on. Grace turned her gaze back to Steve. "You know the rules. You have to be separated."

"Steve, what is this?" Grace asked, eyes starting to water as he walked towards the door. He paused, looking back at her with saddened eyes, which only made her start to panic more. "Where's Bucky? Where are we?"

"They found us, Grace," Steve finally sighed, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Vision sold us out. Everyone was taken last night. They drugged you and Bucky while you were sleeping because they were afraid of what you would do. They promised I could be here with you until you woke up as long as I cooperated and didn't fight back. I'm sorry... They were going to kill you if I tried anything. I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, Grace. Please, forgive me." He disappeared through the door then, and Grace ran to it just as it slammed closed, leaving her in the dark again.

"Steve, don't leave me!" She screamed, beating her hands against the thick metal door. "Don't leave me in here! Steve! Please take me with you! Get me out of here, don't leave me! Please..." She slid to the ground, sobbing mercilessly as the dark seemed to engulf her. There were no windows, no lights. She was alone in a nearly pitch black room that was only illuminated by the bright light slipping under the door. Grace hugged her body as her sobs rocked her back and forth, still screaming and begging for Steve to help her.

* * *

Bucky was forced down into a chair, thick metal bands clasped down on his wrists and ankles even as he struggled. Vision was standing there in front of him, his presence necessary to make sure that he didn't try anything. The ten soldiers that were holding down the still groggy Bucky got him strapped in, then immediately backed away as he started thrashing about violently, struggling to jerk his wrists and ankles free.

"Are you happy now, Vision?!" Bucky snapped, teeth grinding and eyes fixated on his traitorous friend. Vision looked away from him, unable to stand the weight of his own guilt at the moment. "They got what they wanted thanks to you. And for what? A promise to let Wanda go? To let her live free with you while the rest of us are locked away? How does Wanda feel about your decision, Vision? Hm? She happy with it?"

"I am sorry, James. I have to protect her. They were going to find you with or without me. At least this way Wanda is not forced into a cage."

"You love her, and that's why you wanted to protect her," Bucky scoffed, "but what about Grace? Hm? She's going to be locked in a cage, and there's nothing I can do about it. Nothing Steve can do. All because of you. At least we had a chance to protect her before you sold us out. We could have protected Wanda, too, with your help. But instead you chose to betray us, and to hand over Grace like they wanted."

"The orders were to kill you all on sight," Vision told him. "I protected all of you by making this deal."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Bucky rolled his eyes, sitting back in the chair, chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath. Vision looked at him one last time, then disappeared through the wall. A few minutes later, after Bucky gave up trying to get out of the chair, Tony came into the room, taking off his sunglasses and sliding them onto his collar.

"For the record," Tony cleared his throat. "I was against this." He shifted his stance to a more confident one, then stared directly into Bucky's burning eyes. "I wanted Grace to be brought into custody under different circumstances. I didn't want her to be forced into a dark room and isolated. However, they seem to have found a less than honorable purpose for her."

"What does that mean?" Bucky asked.

"It means they're going to use her as a weapon, Barnes. They did their research, and they found the word sequence that can set her off. If she doesn't willingly comply, they're going to force her to do their dirty work, which includes looking for the other Winter Soldiers."

"They'll destroy her," Bucky shook his head. "Tony, please. You can't let them do that to her. Please dont let them do that to her. She cant handle that guilt. You cant let them flip that switch. She's a good person, Tony. She doesn't deserve that."

"For once, we actually agree, Barnes. However, we can't take on the entire world. The UN is a pretty powerful organize with file cabinets filled with information on us, things to use against us. Grace is one person. No matter how good of a person she is, she isn't worth the lives of all the people that would die if we tried to go up against the UN."

"She's worth more," Bucky frowned. "Please, Stark. Let me out of here so I can save her. Grace is innocent. She won't survive switching from the Soldier to the girl. Especially if they make her kill for them. You know as well as I do that the government isnt opposed to killing innocents if it means they get what they want."

"They do what they do to protect the masses, which is something you never understood, Barnes. I don't think she deserves it, nor do I think she's a bad person. I'm more than surprised however that you let yourself get so close, Barnes. Is she really that spectacular that she was able to get through that whole angsty bad-boy thing you got going on?"

"You don't know her, Stark. Maybe if you did, you would help her."

"It doesn't matter if I wanted to or not. I cant help any of you. I signed the accords. I made a deal. Part of that deal required me not to intervene when they tell me I can't. Unlike you, I'm not fond of being a fugitive. I want a life."

"That's why you'll be alone forever, Stark. You don't stand for anything anymore."

"I stand for what's right."

"No. This isnt right. You don't stand for good, you stand for yourself."

"We needed to be put in check!"

"We lived for years without damaging anything," Bucky scoffed. "We still did good. But there was no world-threatening disaster we had to stop. In war, there are such things as necessary casualties. It isn't right, and its tragic. But those people didnt die for nothing. None of them did. You saved the entire human race. For as smart as you are, Stark, you were easy for them to manipulate. Just a few photos of innocents and you fold. Never stopped you from making weapons before."

"Go to hell, Barnes." Stark left the room then, leaving Bucky to try even harder to get out of the chair. He started to scream for Steve, for Wanda, for Sam, for anyone that could hear him. Grace needed to be rescued. She didnt have much time before she wasn't Grace anymore. Bucky knew what that was like, and he wasn't going to let it happen to her. He had to spare her of that guilt, that pain, and that fear.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

"Bastard!" Wanda snapped, hand flying up towards Visions face. He quickly caught her wrist, lowering it. He didn't, however, catch the other first flying up, and it make contact with his jaw. Vision relaeased her and took a step back, eyes moving around the empty compound as he deeply regretted the decision he made.

"Wanda, please. I just wanted to save you," he tried to explain to her. Wanda was seething, her hands glowing bright red, but the more angry she got, the further up her wrist the red climbed. She turned away from Vision, using her telekinesis to toss the couch across the room. It felt so good to do some damage, so she lifted it again, then threw it at the window.

"Save me, oh, that's rich." She turned on him again. "You turned in my friends for some selfish desire. You didn't want to lose me, so you turned against me. How completely void of human thinking can you be? That's not how you keep someone close to you! You don't betray everyone I care about then walk back in here like it's all okay!"

"I'm sorry, Wanda. Please."

"I don't want to stay here with you," she shook her head at him. "I want to be with them. I'd rather be locked up there than stuck here with you." She stormed towards the door, blowing it off its hinges before stomping down the stairs. Vision followed her, desperate to make her understand that he did it out of love. That he couldn't let her go down with the others.

"Wanda, I love you," he told her earnestly, gliding down the steps slowly behind her as she rushed. Wanda stopped suddenly, whipping around to look up into his eyes. Hers burned with fury, like there was a dancing flame behind them, but his eyes were sorrowful.

"I love you," she admitted. "I've loved you for so long, and now... now I can't even look at you without thinking about them. About how you violated our trust. How you sold Grace to the government. I may love you now, but I'll find a way to fix that." She looked over at the railing on the stairs, then used her glowing hand to tear the metal from the concrete and force it to wrap around Visions wrist. "Don't follow me."

"Whatre you going to do?"

"Save them or get caught trying."

* * *

Bucky sat with his head back against the cold, metal chair he was still strapped down to. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to calm down after the third attempt at thrashing enough to free himself. He was wearing himself out, and he knew he couldn't waste all of his fight right here in this chair. Somehow, Bucky would find a way to get to Grace, and when he did, he wanted to make sure he wasn't exhausted.

The door opened, and Bucky expected it to be the next guard ordered to bring him some water, so he didn't even respond. However, the metal bands around his arms and legs suddenly popped loose. His head jerked up, and across the room he saw Wanda. She was bleeding from her shoulder, but the fury he saw in her prevented her from really feeling any pain. Her hands were lit up with red mist swirling around them.

"Get up, were going after the others," she said, her tone harsh and commanding. Bucky nodded and leapt up from the chair, his adrenaline giving him the energy he needed to keep going, and to keep fighting alongside Wanda.

Bucky took the lead since Wanda was injured, although she barely seemed to notice it at all in her state of rage. Any soldier they came across was immediately taken out, either by Bucky's hand to hand combat, or by Wanda's telekinetic abilities. There was something strong driving them forwards, making them more dangerous than ever.

The first room they found held Sam, stripped of his Falcon wings and any of his other gadgets. Bucky out all of his power behind his metal fist, then slammed it through the supposedly bullet proof window Sam was standing behind. The glass shattered inwards, and Sam took a step back to avoid it.

"'Bout damn time," he huffed, quickly hopping over the window and joining Bucky and Wanda on their mission to find the others and get them out of there. "I know where they're keeping Steve, I can lead the way." Sam stepped in front of the others, immediately turning down a hall, followed by Bucky and Wanda.

Sam was right. He remembered exactly where they took Steve, and everyone was surprised to see him sitting comfortable at a table with Tony Stark of all people. They both stood when the trio walked in, eyes wide and confused.

"How the hell... you know what. Never mind. Someone punch me, then you guys just get out of here," Stark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut like the frustration if the whole situation gave him a sudden migraine.

Bucky wasted no time. He stormed up to Stark, then threw a hard punch with his metal hand, sending the man to the ground, unable to catch himself quick enough on the table. Stark groaned and rolled over onto his side, hand flying up to hold his throbbing cheek.

"Bucky, that's enough," Steve said firmly, noticing that the punch hadn't been enough to satisfy Bucky's hunger for revenge. He grabbed his friends shoulder and quickly pulled him back. Steve looked down at Tony. "Are you sure about this. They're going to blame you."

"Let them," Stark chuckled a little before groaning again. "Consider us even." Steve nodded, then joined the others as they ran back to the room where Steve knew Grace was being held. They were running out of time, Tony had told Steve that himself. They were going to set her off soon, draw out the soldier in her so they could give the orders.

* * *

The door to Grace's little cell opened, and her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden change of light. She'd been kept in the dark, barely able to see anything. When the room lit up, she saw a man walk in, holding a notepad out in front of him with no pen in his hand.

The man began reading some words she didnt know, in a language she recognized but couldn't place in her state of panic. She back up, her back pressing into the wall behind her as the man walked closer, still reading. Suddenly, she began feeling very anxious, almost uncontrollably anxious, and her whole body felt uncomfortable.

"Stop it," she pleaded. "Whatever youre doing stop it!" She squeezed her eyes shut, sliding to the ground so she could hug her knees against her chest. "Please, stop!" Then, it did. Silence filled the room, then a loud thud. Grace opened her eyes to see the man collapsed on the ground, the notepad on the floor by his hand.

Bucky rushed to her, followed quickly behind Steve who was the one that reached down to lift her to her feet. She was stunned to see them, confused as to how they all managed to escape and come back to rescue her, too.

"Come on," Bucky said, taking her hand in his. "We gotta go now, Grace. We gotta run." She nodded, and lead by her friends, she ran out of the cell and down the hallway adjacent to it. Bucky pulled her along behind him, and she was struggling to keep up in her state of panic and confusion. Nevertheless, he dragged her along anyways, ready to carry her all the way out if he had to.

They were just about to the exit when a gunshot rang out. Bucky felt Grace grow heavier begin him, and he turned around to see her sliding down to her knees, a blood stain growing on the lower left side of her shirt. She looked up at him with watery eyes, in complete shock.

Behind Grace stood what seemed like a small army of soldiers, all dressed in SWAT gear. Bucky made a move for Grace, but they yelled for him to back away, half of the soldiers with their guns aimed at the group and the other half aimed at Grace.

"Don't move!" One of them yelled. "We have orders to kill the subject if she makes an escape attempt." Grace stayed on her knees, one hand holding her fresh wound while the other supported her body weight. She kept her eyes focused on Bucky and Steve, telling them to forget her and leave with just her gaze.

"You cant have her!" Wanda suddenly yelled, throwing her glowing hands forwards and sending all of the guns into the air. She held them there, struggling with so many objects at once, and waited until Steve ran to grab Grace. Once he had her in his arms, she flung them all backwards as far as she could, and they continued running. But it wasn't over. Another shot rang out, and this time, the bullet struck someone else entirely.

Wanda had been in the way of the bullet, only something was suddenly standing behind her. She turned to see Vision hovering there, a twisted expression of pain on his face. She looked up at him, then gasped when he dropped to his knees. He hunched over, and she could see the bullet wound on his back.

"Go," he told her, "before they get their rifles back." She shook her head. Vision sensed another man about to fire, so he jumped up, grabbing her in his arms and taking a second bullet to the back to protect her. "Wanda, please."

"Help me, someone help quick," she said, her accent thick in her panic. All the guns were raised again, and everyone was still stuck at the doorway. Vision could feel the pain in his back, but he held onto her tightly anyways, acting as a human shield. All hope seemed lost until a sudden burst of electricity surged through the soldiers, stunning them all, and causing some to fall to the ground. Steve's eyes widened as the crowd of soldiers parted and an old friend stepped through.

"Thor?" He scoffed in disbelief. The Asgardian simply walked through the pile of soldiers, then took Vision by the arm, shouldering his weight.

"Stark called and said you could use some help," Thor explained as he quickly carried Vision through the door. Steve still had Grace in his arms, and the group was finally able to escape. "What is going on, Captain? Since when are you and Stark on opposite sides?"

"Since me," Bucky noted, looking over at the god standing on the other side of Steve. "Since her." He looked down at Grace, who was still clutching her bleeding side in pain. Thor looked at her for a moment, then back up at Steve.

"You've fallen in love? I never thought I'd see the day Steve Rogers gave up his sense of justice for a woman. I am happy you have finally found someone to loosen you up a bit." He smiled over at Steve, who felt a bit of relief at the moment. With Thor helping them, they would escape. They could get Grace home, and they could tend to her wounds and Vision's. Most surprisingly of all, Thor had returned. He was now, at least for the moment, on Steve's side.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Grace cried out in pain, even with the belt between her teeth. She was laying face down on the floor, Wanda and Bucky knelt down beside her. Wanda was slowly but surely pulling the bullet from her side. Once the small metal piece was out of her skin, Wanda let it fall to the floor. Bucky put his hand over the wound.

Vision was sitting across the room on the sofa, having already been tended to. His injuries were worse, so he was fixed up first. Grace didn't mind. After all, Vision had taken those bullets to protect Wanda, and if he hadn't, Wanda would be dead. Despite the betrayal, that earned him a sliver of respect from the team again, especially with Wanda. However, things between the two of them would probably never go back to normal.

Steve walked with Wanda into the other room to talk about something, while Bucky picked Grace up and helped her walk to the bathroom in her bedroom, closing the door behind them. He picked her up and set her on the counter, turned sideways so he could get to her back.

"I thought for a minute I was going to lose you," Bucky said after a few moments of silence. Grace just nodded, thinking back to that feeling of panic when the man starting reciting those words to her. Bucky explained it to her, told her what they were trying to do, and it terrified her. "They had me tied down in a chair. They wouldn't let me close to you."

"But they let Steve see me," she said quietly. "Bucky, why was he just... sitting there with Stark? They weren't even concerned with him trying to fight back. Why?" She winced as he pushed a piece of gauze against her wound, then waited patiently while he taped it up. Bucky sighed when he was done, and Grace turned so she was facing him, still sitting on the counter.

"Steve and Tony... They understand each other better than we do. Steve knows that Tony is trapped by that contract, even if he doesn't believe in it anymore. Tony knows that Steve only wants to do what's right, what he believes to be right. Tony knew Steve wouldn't fight back if our lives were on the line. He's too... smart."

"Bucky," she sighed, taking his hands into hers suddenly. "I want to get away. I can't do this anymore. I don't want to keep keeping you in the firing line, and I just want to disappear, somewhere they can't find me. This compound isn't safe anymore."

"We're moving tomorrow."

"You don't understand," she shook her head at him, dropping his hands and slowly, carefully pushing herself off of the counter. She stood in front of him, eyes locked on the ground. "I don't want to go with you guys. I want to run away alone, to protect you, and to protect myself. They'll find us one way or another. They'll find me... I don't want to be forced to kill, Bucky. I can't stand the idea of having anyone's blood on my hands."

"Grace, they won't find us where we're going," he tried to reassure her, putting a hand on her cheek and lifting her face so he could look her in the eyes. "You dont have to run away to protect us. We're trying to protect you."

"Bucky, I should've left that night... when you stopped me," she told him, laying her hand over his on her cheek. His eyes were so serious, and his eyebrows furrowed. "I need to go. I want to. For you, for Steve, for everyone. I love you all too much to put you at risk anymore. Please don't say anything, but tonight... I'm leaving for good." If only he could hear how her heart was breaking inside of her, how her chest tightened at her own words, like her body was rejecting the things she was forcing herself to say. Grace by no means wanted to leave.

"Grace, you can't. You'll be alone out there. Its not safe, please," he practically begged, his voice lowering and his eyes darkening. "I can't let you go. I never could. You know that, Grace. We've... we've gotten so close. Ive never gotten this close to someone before."

"Bucky, please," she said, reaching out and grabbing handfuls of his tee shirt. She pulled him close to her, resting her forehead against his chest with her eyes falling on his shoes. She took a deep breath. "Wanda was almost killed today. Vision was shot. I was shot. Anyone of the people I care about could have died today and its all my fault. You have to let me go now. If they get what they want, then they'll stop."

"Wait," Bucky grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, staring intensely down into her eyes. "Youre not going off grid. You're turning yourself back in. After everything we went through to get you out of there, why the hell would you do that?" His jaw tightened, and Grace felt tears pooling in her eyes. She blinked them away, letting them slide down her cheek so she could look at him clearly, to show him the determination in her eyes.

"It was worth it because you guys are free. I can make a deal with them, Bucky. They'll leave you alone if I turn myself in. If I let them make me into a Winter Soldier. To make me... a weapon." She sniffed, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I don't care what happens to me anymore, Bucky. Only what happens to you and the others."

"You said you didn't want blood on your hands."

"I don't want your blood on my hands. Or Steve's or Wanda's or Sam's. I don't want to be the reason anyone dies or gets imprisoned. Bucky, I can't be responsible for making your lives harder than they already are. They want me more than they want you. If I turn myself in, I can bargain your freedom for mine."

"I won't let you."

"You can't stop me." Grace put her hands on his chest and pushed him back a little. "I love you, Bucky. But I have to do this. I cant be selfish anymore." She went to walk out of the bathroom, but Bucky grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. She tried to yank her arm away but his metal hand held it tightly. "Let go of me, Bucky."

"I'm not going to do that." He snatched her up then, too quickly for her to react, and he threw her over his shoulder. He carried her into the bedroom, struggling to keep her in place as she started thrashing. He dropped her down on the bed, then sat on her thighs to keep her from kicking or escaping. "I'm sorry, but I won't let you give yourself up."

"Bucky, get the hell off of me!" She snapped, fighting with her arms before he took each wrist in his hands and pinned them to the bed. Grace glared up at him, "Let me go right now, Bucky!" He shook his head in response, sliding his belt from the loops of his jeans and quickly wrapping it around her wrists and pulling it tight. He pulled the excess leather up and tied it to the bed frame.

"Stay here," he told her, getting off and moving towards the door. Grace immediately started pulling at the belt, hearing the strain of the leather as her super soldier strength threatened to snap it completely. She thought it was just about to give way when Bucky came back in the room, two pairs of handcuffs in his hands. He snapped one around each wrist, then snapped the other ends to the headboard of the bed.

"So this is your plan?" She frowned at him, still pulling at her bindings, although the handcuffs prevented her from having the room she needed to pull the leather far enough to snap it. Her eyes narrowed at him. "You just gonna keep me tied up for the rest of my life?"

"Just until I talk some sense into you," he grimaced. "Or until I can find a better solution." Bucky had never been like this, had never been the kind of person to willingly hold someone captive. But love made people do crazy things, and it had infected his heart in a way that made losing her feel like he was dying, like he couldn't breathe.

"I have to eat. To use the bathroom." She tugged at the restraints again, rattling the chains of the handcuffs against the metal bed frame. "How the hell am I supposed to live like this?" Bucky stared at her for a moment, realizing she was right. In his panic, he hadn't thought this all through. He pondered on it for a moment.

"Let me talk to the others. Maybe Wanda can do something with your mind. To change it. To make you stay willingly." Bucky was running out of ideas, and he knew Steve wouldn't approve of keeping her as a hostage against her will.

"Bucky, don't you dare!" Grace shouted, yanking violently against the cuffs and the belt, causing them to dig into the skin of her wrists. Bucky cringed when he saw them draw blood. Her whole body started twisting, pulling at the restraints. "Don't fuck with my head, Bucky! I swear if any of you take away my mind, my memories, I will never, ever forgive you." Her tone was bitter, sharp. Her teeth were grinding together now.

"What do you want me to do?!" He yelled back, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I cant lose you, Grace, not like that. If they turn you, there's no telling if I'll ever get you back, and i can't stand the thought of them using you to kill, to do their dirty work. For you to lose yourself to it. I won't let you go through what I did, Grace. I refuse. Hate me all you want, but I will not let you become a Winter Soldier. I'll die first before I let you turn yourself in."

Grace stared at him, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted as she breathed in an out slowly. Her eyes darted between his, as if she saw something in them that she hadn't seen before, something foreign. Suddenly, with all of her strength, she yanked at her restraint, snapping the leather and breaking the chains, ignoring the sharp pain that follows as they tore into the skin of her wrist.

Bucky braced himself for a fight, for a struggle to keep her from running. However, she didn't run. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. Her tongue flicked over his, and her lips moved over his lips roughly. Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly against him as they kissed. One of her hands moved up to bury itself in his hair, tugging slightly as she took his bottom lip between her teeth and slowly pulled back to look into his now hungry eyes.

"Come with me then. We can disappear together, just the two of us."

"What about Steve?" Bucky asked, face twisting with conflict.

"He won't leave the team."

"I can't leave Steve," Bucky sighed, lowering his head in shame. "We're all going to disappear, Grace. Please come with us. Please. I won't leave him behind. He loves you, too. I thought you loved him." Grace grimaced.

"I do. But he will always be the Captain, the leader. He can't bring himself to be or do anything else. I can't ask him to leave his team... they need him."

"He needs you. I need you. Come with us." Bucky lifted his gaze to hers and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Please, Grace. I love you, too. Steve loves you. Don't leave us." As much as he was tempted to run away with her, to stay by her side and become the only other person to love and be loved by her. But Steve was his best friend, his brother. He would never do that to Steve, no matter how much he loved her.

"Leave me alone for now, Bucky. I want to be alone." She pulled away from him, turning her back to him and sitting on the bed, examining her wrists with her legs crossed underneath her. They were pretty cut up, but they surprisingly didn't hurt that bad. There was too much going on to even think about the pain, much less feel it.

"Grace..."

"Give me a little while." She glanced back at him. "I need to think." Bucky hesitated, standing there momentarily and just looking down at her, but then he just nodded and walked to the door. Hed keep an eyes on her door from the sofa, just in case, but he respected her wishes and left her alone in her room.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

Grace stepped out of her room when it was late, when it was quiet outside of her bedroom. She wore nothing but a tank top and sleep shorts, so she definitely decided to stay, for the night at the very least. Important decisions could be made the next day, after sleeping on it. However, sleeping was easier said than done. With such a heavy weight on her shoulders, it was hard for her to even relax, much less sleep.

She heard a light breathing from the couch, and she leaned over the back of it to find Bucky sprawled out on the sofa, hand covering his eyes as he slept. A small smile tried to escape, but she forced it down, not wanting to let her emotions cloud her judgement, although they were already making it hard to decide.

"Something troubling you, Grace?" A deep voice said from the kitchen, startling her momentarily. She turned around to see Thor standing there behind the counter in a loose fitting white top, something definitely not from the modern era, and brown pants. He was sipping on a cup of coffee, leaning against the island counter.

"Thor. I didn't think anyone would be up." She cleared her throat and made her way towards the counter, sitting on one of the stools across from him. "And no, I'm fine. I hope." Thor raised a blond eyebrow at her, setting down his coffee mug and leaning forwards on his elbows.

"Steve tells me you are a Winter Soldier," he told her, eyes narrowing. "Tony Stark seems to believe you are good, and that you were worth defying the government of the United States for. But you do not think so. Do you?" Her eyes lifted to his, and a cocky grin grew on his face. "Love, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Your face is far too readable."

"You don't know me," she shook her head. Thor shrugged his shoulders, sitting back far enough to rest his weight on his palms instead of his elbows, figuring that she didnt want him sitting so close to her at the moment.

"Maybe not," he sighed heavily, "but then again, from what I hear, you hardly know yourself." Grace rolled her eyes at him, then dropped her head onto the counter in frustration.

Steve was always a full disclosure kind of guy, and while it was nice sometimes, Grace partially wished Steve hadn't told Thor so much about her. Especially since she hardly knew anything about herself. It just made sure she didn't have a leg to stand on in this conversation. He already knew everything there was to know about her, without ever having to speak to her.

"Listen, Thor," she said quietly, not wanting to wake Bucky and have him all worried again. Let him sleep and be at peace for awhile. She lifted her head to look at him. "I appreciate you saving our asses back there, but I don't need you to tell me what Steve and Bucky already have. Okay? If I don't listen to them, I'm sure as hell not going to listen to you."

"Fiery, I like it," he chuckled, and his carefree demeanor was really starting to piss Grace off. "I see why Steve and his gloomy comrade have taken such an interest in you. You have a spirit in you that most people lack. A fight. You would make a good warrior."

"I don't want to be a warrior," she frowned. "I was built to be one, but I... I don't want to kill anyone. But I don't want to be responsible for anyone's death either. They aren't going to stop coming after me, after everyone standing beside me. I just... want to protect them."

"And they want the same for you," he told her, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the counter behind him. "Steve could not stop talking about you. About how he would give anything for you, and how terrifying it was for him to feel that way. He believes in being a team, in taking care of everyone. But you, love, you made his priorities shift. So you must be pretty special."

"I'm not... I'm really not a good person, Thor."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I love Steve and Bucky both. I'm probably going to end up sticking with them, even though I could get them and everyone else killed. And worst of all, I would rather let the government make me into a killing machine than be the reason they get hurt. It's all so selfish." Grace hugged her upper body, rubbing her arms with her hands.

Thor stared at her for a moment, thinking about what he would do in her shoes, and what he wanted to suggest to her. It was a tough situation, and the only experience he'd had with romantic feelings was with Jane, and he had not seen her in some time. But he tried to imagine that's what it was like for Grace, Steve, and the Winter Soldier.

"Your fate is not certain if you stick with Barnes and Steve. You do not know for sure that you will end up getting them killed, Grace. You can never be sure about something like that. But, if you love them as much as I think you do, and if you care about the team you are a part of now, then all you have to do is toughen up and fight harder to make sure nobody gets hurt."

Grace scoffed, "It's not that easy."

"Isn't it?" He asked her with an eyebrow raised. He stepped forwards and picked up his mug again, taking a sip of it, then walking away. He was probably staying in Bucky's room for the night, which Bucky probably volunteered so he could sleep on the couch and keep an eye on Grace's door.

Grace got up from her stool, then headed back to her room, her head swirling with thoughts. Her mind wasn't made up anymore, and there was no clear right or wrong decision to make, thanks to Thor. No, she found herself wanting entirely to be selfish, and to give in to the parts of her that wanted nothing more than to be with Bucky and Steve.

As soon as she stepped through her door, though, she lost the ability to choose. A hand wrapped around, covering her mouth, as a deep raspy voice read off some words in a language she didn't understand, and in a panic, didn't recognize. Before she could squirm away, Grace, as she came to be, vanished completely.

* * *

Thor stepped out of the shower, running a hand through his long, wet hair and wrapping a towel around himself. Bucky was kind enough to give up his room, so Thor decided to thoroughly enjoy his break from Asgard by indulging in some of the human luxuries. Like hot showers.

When he stepped back into the bedroom, the door creaked open ever so slightly. He looked up in confusion to see Grace step into the room, slowly closing the door behind her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Thor frowned.

"Grace. Is something the matter?" The answer was obvious on her face, but he hoped she'd elaborate somehow. He hadn't meant to upset her earlier, but he wanted to help convince her not to turn herself over. Thor knew how bad that would end for everyone, and Steve was still his friend, all things considered.

"I just need to get away," she sniffed, hugging her body tightly. "Please, Thor, I don't want to stay here anymore. You can take me somewhere else, right? Somewhere safe... far from all of this." Her wide eyes fixated on him. He sighed,

"Asgard is not meant for mortals, Grace. You do not belong there, I am sorry."

"Then take me anywhere else," she pleaded. "Bucky... He's too possessive. I want to get away from him, from all of it."

"Steve assured me his friend is a good person," Thor made a face, examining hers for some kind of explanation. "Why do you believe he is possessive?"

"He can't stand that I love Steve," she shook her head, hugging herself tighter. "Or loved... Steve is so blinded by him, I just... I don't think I can be around either of them anymore. Please Thor you have to help me. Bucky is... unstable. Im afraid he'll get worse, especially now that... you're around." She glanced up at him.

"Me? Why would I provoke him in any way? I am only here to assist Steve."

"Because you're... you know. You're a handsome guy, and Bucky is so jealous. He knows that.. I find you attractive."

Thor's eyebrows raised, "What?"

"It's just... I'm not used to all these things and these urges, and I can't really control myself very well. I don't know myself, or what my limits are yet. I'm still," she took a deep breath and a step closer to him, "figuring it all out. And im sure it's hard for you, too. To be away from your girl, never able to see her or be with her. To hold her against you and feel her in your arms."

"I do miss those things..." he trailed off. A small smirk tugged at her lips, but he was too deep in thought to see it. Grace, or whoever she was now, took another step forwards, drawing his attention to her. She took her bottom lip between her teeth.

"He knows how much I crave a... more gentle touch. Something soft anf sweet. Bucky isn't capable of either, and Steve... pretends not to notice." She walked up to him, closing the gap, and grabbed handfuls of his shirt, laying her head on his chest. "You have to get me away from here. Theres so many things I still want to experience. Like... a soft touch." She looked up at him.

"Grace..."

"Please," her voice begged, eyes wide and desperate, drawing him in, breaking him down. She was so small, so seemingly fragile. "You can pretend I'm... whoever you wish I was. I just... I need to know what it's like. Just a kiss. Just a soft, sweet kiss." She lifted herself on her toes, and a hand reached up to rest on his jaw. Thor's arms snaked around her waist, though the reasonable part of him shouted in protest. "Just one little kiss."

"Just one." He leaned down a little, just enough to let her close the gap between them. The Soldier lifted herself onto her toes, pressing her lips to his softly, gently, then a little harder. His grip on her tightened slightly as he fought the urge building low in his gut. Her hand slid down to the back of his neck, pulling him down closer, so she could deepen the kiss.

"Hey, Thor, have you seen-"

Thor jerked back, taking Grace by the shoulders and pushing her away from him carefully. He knew his strength, and he made sure not to shove her. However, the angry look on Bucky's face made him regret his momentary lapse of judgement instantly.

"Bucky," Grace cleared her throat. "You're supposed to be asleep." Bucky stalked forwards, taking her by the arm and pulling her towards the door. "Release me!" She shouted at him, struggling to free her arm from his cold metal hand. Thor stepped in, breaking Bucky's grip on her.

"That is enough," he said firmly. "You have to stop this petty jealousy. You are hurting her."

"What?" Bucky scoffed at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Thor, please," Grace grabbed the bicep of the god beside her. "You cant leave me here. Hes going to hurt me." Bucky's attention shifted to her.

"Grace? What is going on?"

"I will not let you continue your abuse," Thor said, stepping in front of Grace protectively. "You have done enough, and the lady would like to leave. So I am going to take her away from here. She is not safe as long as you are near."

"You dont know what the hell you're talking about," Bucky seethed. "Shes lying. I don't know why she is, but she is." His eyes flicked to her. "Grace, if youre trying to get out of here so you can run away, back to Stark, this is going a little far don't you think?"

"Going too far would be killing you." Her voice went cold, causing a chill to run down his spine. Her face became stoic, and all hints of Grace disappeared. Bucky shook his head.

"Grace? You in there anymore?"

"What is going on?" Thor asked, looking down at Grace, noticing the change in her demeanor himself. Grace folded her arms over her chest.

"I have a mission. You will not get in my way."

"What is your mission, exactly?" Bucky asked.

"To return myself to where I belong so I can be contained and controlled. Then deactivated."

"They want you to turn yourself in to be killed? Why not use you for something more productive? Hm?" He questioned her, drawing Thors confused gaze to him for the moment. "You're a Winter Soldier. Why not use you for actual missions."

"My mind has been emotionally compromised. I am no longer of use." She shifted her stance, dropping her arms to her side. "Move or I will go through you."

"You can try."

"Then I will."


End file.
